


Summertime Surprise

by CaptainSwanCursedKisses



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-24
Updated: 2017-12-07
Packaged: 2018-05-15 21:56:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 34,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5801695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainSwanCursedKisses/pseuds/CaptainSwanCursedKisses
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Captain Swan AU! 24 year old Storybrooke Deputy Emma Swan rescues a baby locked in a hot car and takes her into her home only to be faced with the child's father who had no idea that the child was abandoned or even existed, Killian Jones, a Storybooke native who left town to attend college many years earlier.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

There are things that you do in everyday life that you don't think twice about; you go to work, maybe the bank, the grocery store, or a nice restaurant. These are normal, simple, and sometimes boring things to do and they have little to no impact on your life. Every adult experiences these things, but not many have their lives change completely while doing them.

24 year old Emma Swan was having a shitty day. Her alarm clock broke, causing her to arrive 45 minutes late to work, which normally wouldn't be that big of a deal except that today was the day that her boss David, the Sheriff of the small town she lived in called Storybrooke, had to take his mother to the hospital for her cancer treatment leaving her in charge for the morning. This meant that when Emma ran into the Sheriff's station, the deputy was faced with a phone that wouldn't stop ringing and a stack of paperwork that would last through the day and even through her lunch hour- which didn't really matter since she left her packed lunch at home, on the counter, next to her cell phone which she also forgot.

Finally at around 2pm David arrived. One look at her frazzled appearance, David knew that Emma had been having an off day.

"Everything ok, Emma?" David asked with a worried expression crossing his face. David was like a big brother to Emma, knowing her ever since she stumbled into town 5 years ago, 19 years old and broken from the horrific tragedies that faced her the year prior. David and his then girlfriend- now wife Mary Margaret took her in and helped her get back on her feet, starting with a job. Emma was brought in to work as a clerk in the Storybrooke Sheriff's station and worked her way up to Deputy, spending her days working alongside David and the other deputies of Storybrooke; Graham and August. All three men of the law were fiercely protective of Emma and became the family that she never had.

"I'm fine, David, just a bad day. My alarm clock broke this morning so I was a bit late and that just made my whole day crazy. Will Scarlett was caught breaking into the library again this morning, still drunk from last night, and started harassing Belle… again! And Leroy was found passed outside of the Rabbit Hole, Graham and August went to retrieve him and he is still sleeping it off in one of the cells. Graham and August left for a late lunch about an hour ago and should be back any minute, and the phone has been ringing off the hook since 9:30 this morning! Oh yeah, I also left my cell and my lunch at my home this morning so I am starving and phone-less!" Emma huffed the last part of the sentence before slamming her head onto her arms which lay across her desk.

Laughing under his breath, David moved across the room to pat the top of her head.

"Em, why don't you take off a bit early today, hmm? Seems like you could use it after the day you just had!"

Emma contemplated his words before standing up and moving next to David.

"Thanks! I'm going to run to the grocery store before heading home, ok? Just in case you need me, since I don't have my phone on me."

"Alright, talk to you later."

Emma walked out of the front door of the station and into the heat of the day. It was a record setting day in Storybrooke; the temperature was well into the 90s which is unusual for the area.

Emma climbed into her bug and quickly rolled down her windows after starting the car and turning on the AC. Once the hot air was out of the car she rolled the windows and made her way to the only grocery store in the city.

Her trip was short, only needing to pick up a few items, and she was in and out of the store in just under 10 minutes. She was walking towards her car, which was parked towards the back of the parking lot, when she heard a noise coming from a small, beat up looking car, just a few spots down from hers.

Curiosity getting the best of her, Emma walked past her bug and closer to the car with the sound and as she got closer she was able to determine what was making that sound; a baby.

"Oh my god!"

Dropping her bags on the ground without a second thought, Emma ran to the door closest to the baby and tried to open the door;  _locked!_ Emma ran around the car and tried all of the doors with no luck. Inside the car, the babies cries grew louder and the baby became covered in sweat; the car was not running, which meant no air conditioning and the windows were rolled all the way up.

Emma started to look around at the other shoppers who were returning to their cars and entering the store and shouted in panic. "Somebody HELP! Please! There is a baby locked in this car!"

People stopped in their tracks and hurried towards Emma and the car. Immediately Emma and a few bystanders started hitting at the widow of the driver's side, trying to break in and unlock the doors but were having no luck there as well.

"Someone call the Sheriff's station and tell them that Emma Swan is here and they need to get their asses here ASAP!" Emma yelled to the large group that was now surrounding the car. Mother's stood holding their own children, tears of fear running down their faces. Someone asked if anyone had any tools to try to break the window.

"Wait! I have a crow bar in my trunk!" Emma threw her keys to one of the ladies standing closest to her. A minute later the woman returned with the crow bar and Emma started swinging at the cars window.

For a rundown old car, the windows were pretty strong. Minutes passed as Emma and the others attempted to break the window when two cops' cars arrived, sirens blaring, signaling the arrival of David and the others.

"Emma! Is everything alright?" David, Graham, and August ran over to her to catch up on the situation.

"No! I was coming out of the store when I noticed this baby in the back of the car! David, it can't be more than a few weeks old and it has to be over 100 degrees in there! We have to break this window  _now!"_ Emma was frantic with worry. She knew that if they couldn't get into the car within a few minutes, that baby will die.

"Wait, I think I got it!" cried a man on the passage side door, a small man by the name Leroy. He managed to create a small crack in the window and after a few more powerful swings of the crowbar by David, the window was broken and Emma quickly removed the baby from the back seat.

The baby was small, hysterical, and completely covered in sweat. Emma quickly moved to her car, turned the AC on and tried to comfort the child.

"Has anyone attempted to locate the parents?" asked Graham.

The manager of the store came forward to inform them that they had announced the situation over the loud speaker of the store and had no one to come forward to claim the child or the car.

"David, we need to get the baby to the hospital. We need to make sure it's ok." Emma couldn't take her eyes off the child, who she couldn't tell if it was a boy or girl due to its gender neutral onesie.

"You're right. Ok, you and August take the squad car and have the baby looked at by Whale. I will call it into the hospital now that way he is available when you get there. Graham and I will get started here, we will run the plates and interview the witnesses to see if we can locate the parents." David moved quickly away and Emma watched as August removed the sweat covered car seat and moved it to one of the squad cars.

Looking back down at the baby in her arms, who had thankfully quieted and was now close to sleep, Emma smiled. "Alright little one, let's get you looked at and feeling better, and then we can find out who you are! Does that sound good, sweetie? Alright, let's go."

Emma turned her car off and quickly made her way to the squad car where August was waiting. As soon as the baby was buckled into the carrier, Emma crawled in the backseat and the car was headed off towards the hospital.

**Authors Note: Ok, so this is a story that popped into my head and just flew out of my fingers and into my computer! LOL Please feel free to leave me ideas for what to do with future chapters! I am going along with whatever comes to me but I also have a general idea as to where the story will go. PLEASE REVIEW! And please forgive any errors, I kind of wrote this fast and dirty and I am not the best of writers! Thank you soooooooo much!**


	2. Chapter 2

"She's going to be ok." The announcement came from Dr. Victor Whale, Storybrooke's best doctor, as he walked into the waiting room to greet Emma and August.

They had pulled up to the emergency room a little over 30 minutes ago and had been waiting to hear word about the baby ever since.

"It's a girl?"

"Yes, it's a girl, and I've estimated that she is around 3 weeks old. She only weighs about 8 pounds and is mildly dehydrated from being locked in the car. She must not have been in there too long before you found her Emma due to her state when she was brought in, but because of her age and size, if she were in there for even 10 minutes longer she would have died. You saved her life."

"But she is ok, right?" Emma felt panic grip her heart.

"Yes, she is going to be fine. We put a line in to give her fluids and her stats are already up. We also gave her a cool bath to remove the sweat as well as to cool down her core temperature, which was high but most likely due to the heat inside the car. We want to watch her for a few hours to make sure that no other issues arise and that her temperature remains low. But I see no reason why she can't go home tonight. Have you located her parents?"

August just shook his head. "Even if we did locate them, there is no way we would let the baby go with them. Once we find them they will be arrested for child endangerment."

The room fell silent, each person lost in their own thoughts.

Dr. Whale was the first person to break that silence. "Well, the child has been moved to the nursery where she will remain until she is ready to be taken off fluids and can leave any time after that. You are welcome to see her if you like."

August started to decline the offer but Emma quickly accepted. She made her way to the nursery as Whale stayed back with August to go over some more information regarding the child and her missing parents.

As she got closer to the nursery Emma could feel her heartrate increase and a lump form in her throat.

_Stop it!_

She stopped momentarily outside of the nursery before pushing her way through the doors. The room was quiet for being a nursery, there were only a few babies in the room and they were all asleep, all except one. A nurse, Anna, stood in the corner of the room holding a small crying baby wrapped in pink. She could see the wires attached to the baby and instantly knew that it was her baby.

_She's not your baby, Emma! Calm down!_

Emma stood there for a moment, simply watching as Anna held the small bundle who continued to cry and wiggle in the nurse's arms. Looking up, Anna spotted Emma and smiled.

"Emma! It's so nice to see you! I hear you are the big hero today!"

"Not really, it was a group effort. Um, how is she doing?" Emma stepped closer to the two and winced as the baby continued to cry.

"She's doing well but I can't seem to get her to stop crying!"

Emma looked down at the baby; pink face screaming, a clean onesie now in place, and beautiful. Looking back up at Anna, Emma moved a bit closer. "Mind if I hold her?"

Anna's face lit up as she transferred the baby into Emma's arms. Once settled, Emma started rocking the baby slowly trying to calm her tears. A few seconds later the little girl stopped crying and opened her eyes, staring straight up into Emma's. Emma gasped as the deep, ocean blue eyes settled on hers.

Emma could feel her heart swell to dangerous levels.  _This was a bad idea!_

"Look at that! She stopped crying! She must like you! I mean, of course she likes you, you're the one that saved her!" Anna exclaimed with a little clap of her hands. Always overly excited about something, Anna, very different from her big sister Elsa, who happened to be Emma's best friend. "Why don't you sit down in the rocking chair with her, maybe you can get her to go to sleep?"

10 minutes later August walked into the nursery to find Emma sitting in a big rocking chair with the baby sleeping against her chest.

"How's she doing?"

Emma looked up at him and gave him a small smile. "She just fell asleep a few minutes ago."

She couldn't help but look back down at the baby in her arms again smiling.

"I just got a call from David. He ran the plates from the car, they came up with a name, Milah Gold. We called around to some hospitals and were able to find a birth certificate but there is not much listed on there."

Emma's head shot up to look at August. "What do you mean?"

"She didn't name the baby, she never completed the forms or the birth certificate. She gave birth in Boston 22 days ago and before the doctors could get any paperwork completed she fled the hospital with the baby. All they had was that it was a live birth with a female child born to a Milah Gold. No father's name was listed but David's put a call into the Boston Police Department, they are going to try to track down any information about Milah, hopefully they can find an address."

"Wait, did you say Milah  _Gold?!_ Do you think she might have some kind of connection to Mr. Gold?"  _Please god, no!_

August nodded his head. "It's his ex-wife. They've been divorced for like 7 years now, a nasty divorce too. She left town and no one has seen or heard from her since. Graham attempted to talk to Mr. Gold about Milah but as soon as her name came up Gold threw him out of the store. So, I'm going to guess that he isn't the baby's father.

"I pray that he isn't."

The baby in her arms snuggled further into her chest, gathering warmth and comfort from their connection. Looking down at her, Emma knew that she already cared for the child deeply, and that was a problem.

Shaking herself out of her thoughts, Emma slowly stood and transferred the baby into her basinet without waking her. She stood there for just another moment, tucking the blanket closer to the child before turning to Anna who was attending to another baby in the room.

"Anna, I will be back later to check on her. I'm going to head to the station to work on things there."

"Ok, see you later Emma. Bye August!"

The two deputies made their way out of the hospital and into the squad car parked outside.

"You okay?" August asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Let's go to the station and try to figure this whole mess out."

* * *

**Author Note: Ok, chapter 2 down! What do you think? It's still a lot of setup for the real story but don't worry, that is coming soon! The next chapter should introduce Killian! But I don't think Killian and Emma with come face to face until chapter 4, possibly chapter 5! THANK YOU to all of you who reviewed chapter 1! They really helped me keep the fire burning to write more! Chapter 3 should be coming soon! Possibly even later today! Please review! Thank you!**


	3. Chapter 3

Killian Jones was having a bad day, a really  _really_  bad day!

Thanks to the ass-hat principal of the high school he works at, Killian was stuck teaching summer school to the juvenile delinquents of south Boston in a classroom with no air conditioning and windows that didn't open. And today his students decided that they wanted to fight one another when they weren't drawing penis shapes on the chalkboard every time he left the room.

And to put the cherry on top of his crappy day, it was announced that the schools funding was cut… again, which meant that all elective classes were cancelled and class times were extended from 45 minutes to an hour and 1 hour 15 minutes each day.  _I can't handle these kids for much longer!_

Exhausted, Killian left the school for the day to head home. Not that it's much better there.

Killian lived in a small apartment overlooking Charles River, an apartment that he had shared with his girlfriend of a year Milah up until about 6 months ago when she left him in the middle of the night without a word.

On the drive home, Killian called into his favorite Chinese take-out restaurant and ordered 'the usual' that he got every Friday night for the past 6 months. Making a quick stop at a liquor store for a six-pack, he still gets to the apartment with 5 minutes to spare before his dinner arrives.

After what seemed like forever, Killian was finally able to kick off his shoes, eat his food, drink a beer, and relax! Well, for 10 minutes at least.

**KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!**

Startled by the noise, Killian quickly muted the movie he was watching, put his food on the coffee table, and walk towards the door. He paused at the door to look out the peephole and was shocked to see the Boston Police knocking on his door.

_What the hell?_

He quickly opened the door to greet the men, all three of them.

"Good evening officers, how can I be of service to some of Boston's finest?"

"Are you Killian Jones?"

"Yes, how can I help you?" His heart was beating in his throat, he was so nervous. Even though he knows he hasn't done anything wrong or illegal, he knows that their presence today is not a good thing.

"Mr. Jones, we are searching for a missing person by the name of Milah Gold, and we have on record that Mrs. Gold's name is on the lease for this apartment along with your own. Is she here?"

_They're looking for Milah? She's a missing person?!_

"No, I haven't seen her in a little over 6 months."

The three officers exchanged a look before two of them started to move around the apartment. The other officer remained with Killian in the living room.

"Bloody hell, what are you doing?!"

"Sir, we need to search the apartment for Mrs. Gold, we have a warrant." Killian took the papers that were provided and started glancing at them.

"But I've already told you, she left me 6 months ago and I haven't seen or heard from her since. Now, can someone please explain to me what the hell is going on here?"

Killian was becoming frantic; after the horrible day he had he wasn't in the mood to deal with this type of situation. He was also becoming incredibly worried about Milah.

The officers completed their search with no success.

"Mr. Jones, Mrs. Gold's car was located earlier today abandoned in a parking lot in a little town called Storybrooke, with no sign of Mrs. Gold. We need to locate her ASAP and we need any and all cooperation you can give us to help in locating her."

Killian was shocked. "I will help you as much as I am capable of but I don't know how go that will be. She left me in the middle of the night 6 months ago. I swear, I haven't seen or heard from her since then. Neither have any of our old friends last time I spoke to them."

"I believe you Mr. Jones but we would still appreciate it if you would come with us to the station to answer some questions to help us track her down."

Killian followed the officers to the station in his own car and found himself seated in front of a different officer 30 minutes later.

"Good evening Mr. Jones, thank you for coming down here tonight, we just have some simple questions regarding Milah Gold so we can get a better understanding as to who she is and where we might be able to find her. "

Killian remained silent for several minutes, simply thinking about anything that could help them find Milah.

"Milah lived in Storybrooke for many years, she was married to a man who still resides there, Mr. Robert Gold. If her car was found in Storybrooke, maybe she was visiting him."

"Mr. Jones, are you familiar with the town yourself?"

"Yes, my brother and I moved there after our parents died when I was 12, my brother was 18 and he got a job working on a lobster boat. I left when I was 17 to attend the University of Boston. I've lived here ever since."

Without lifting his head or his pen, the officer continued with his questions.

"Does your brother still reside in the town?"

"No, he returned to Ireland after I graduated from college. He had left a girlfriend behind when we moved to the states with our parents just two years before they died. When he moved back they picked up where they left off and are now married and expecting their first child."

The offers pen was moving a mile a minute on his notepad, writing down anything and everything that Killian was saying, which was a little unnerving.

"Mr. Jones, were you aware that Mrs. Gold gave birth to a child 3 weeks ago?"

"WHAT?!"

His heart stopped.

_Milah had a baby three weeks ago?_  If she was full term, that would mean that she was close to 3 or 4 months pregnant when she left 6 months ago, meaning that the child could be his.

The officer sitting in front of him simply waited for an answer, his face remaining a blank mask.

"No, I had no idea that she was pregnant! Is the child alright, is it missing too?!"

For the first time since the questioning began, the officer lifted his head, dropped his pen, and looked straight at Killian.

"Mr. Jones, when Mrs. Gold's car was found abandoned in Storybrooke today, the child was found inside the car with the doors locked and the windows rolled up in 90 degree weather. It's unknown as to how long the child was in the car before a deputy from the Storybrooke police department found her and broke the window to get her out. The child was rushed to Storybrooke General Hospital and last I checked she is doing ok and will have no long lasting effects from the incident. There has been no sign of Mrs. Gold but we have officers in Boston, Storybrooke, and the surrounding cities out looking for her to arrest her on numerous charges including child neglect, abandonment, and possibly premeditated murder, depending on where and when she is located."

Killian felt his heart fall into the pit of his stomach. Never would he have thought that this is how his night would turn out, let alone how his  _life_  would turn out! His head felt as if it was going to explode as he lifted his hands and let his head fall into the cradle of his palms.

A million thoughts run through his mind about both Milah and the child.

"Unfortunately, Mrs. Gold never completed the birth certificate for the child so we cannot check for who she listed as the father. So, given the fact that the child was born 3 weeks ago at full term and that the two of you broke up 6 months ago, we think it's highly likely that you are the child's father. "

Lifting his head, Killian regarded the officer. "Probably… maybe. After she left it was brought to my attention by numerous friends of ours that Milah had been cheating on me throughout our year long relationship with a number of men. So, yes, it's possible that the child may be mine but it's also possible that she may not me."

"Well then Mr. Jones, it looks like you have a choice to make. You can either stay here in Boston and carry on with your life as we continue our search for Mrs. Gold and the child enters the foster system  _or_  you can head on home back to Storybrooke, take a DNA test, and find out if you will be receiving a Father's Day card for the next 18 years. It's completely up to you."

Thinking back to his years in Boston, his time spent at Boston University and the years following spent teaching then thinking about the time he spent in Storybrooke. It didn't hit him until this very moment just how much he misses Storybrooke and how much it felt like home when he lived there and how much it could mean to him again, even with Liam back in Ireland. He knew in that moment that he only had one choice to make.

"Well, it looks like I am going to Storybrooke."

* * *

**Author Note: Thanks again guys! I'm going to try to get the next chapter to you within the next 24 hours! Please review and remember to leave your suggestions for the baby's name and who you think should name the baby! You guys are the best!**


	4. Chapter 4

Night quickly fell upon the Storybrooke Police Station and the officers were still working hard inside. Phones were ringing, emails were coming in and going out at an unusually fast pace, and they were getting dangerously low on coffee.

David's wife Mary Margaret joined them earlier in the day once she got out of her job at the local elementary school to help manage some of the phone calls.

Emma sat at her desk reading over an email from an officer two towns over, letting her know that there was no sign of Milah there.

"Are you alright Emma?"

Mary Margaret walked over and sat down in the empty chair in front of Emma's desk, placing a steaming hot cup of cocoa with cinnamon down for her.

Noticing the look from Emma, Mary Margaret smiled. "I thought you could use a break from all the coffee. You are starting to get a bit jittery."

"Thank you." Taking a sip of the cocoa, Emma felt the warmth spread and allowed herself a minute to relax.

"Really, Emma, how are you holding up?"

Emma was silent. She knew that the events of the day were really getting to her and the fact that she wanted nothing more than to go back to the hospital and see the baby scared her. Turning back to her friend, Emma hoped the smile she gave her looked genuine.

"I'm fine Mary Margaret, really."

The smaller, dark haired woman observed her for a moment before shaking her head. "I don't believe you."

Emma felt defeated; her best friend knew her too well to hide these kinds of emotions.

"I really am fine Mary Margaret, it's just, I can't help but think about…"

"Henry?"

Just hearing his name again brings tears to her eyes. Ducking her head down, Emma tries to hide the single tear that falls down her cheek from her friend but it's too late.

Smiling sadly, Mary Margaret reaches over and gently wipes the lone tear away.

"It's alright Emma, it's ok to think about him, and it's ok to care for that baby. You saved her and because of you she is going to be ok."

"I know."

The friends lapse into silence again, both sipping from their rapidly cooling drinks.

Minutes pass and both Mary Margaret and Emma get back to work answering incoming calls from neighboring towns.

Later that day, David emerges from his office with news.

"Ok, we just got word from an officer in New York; Mrs. Gold was spotted getting on a plane at JFK International Airport headed for London Heathrow. It looks like our case will be at a standstill until she returns to the states since we don't have the jurisdiction to follow her on foreign soil."

Emma was stunned; by the looks of it, the child's mother intentionally abandoned the child in a hot car to die and then fled the country.

With the knowledge of Mrs. Gold's whereabouts came the startling realization of what will happen to the child.

"What will happen to the baby?" asked Mary Margaret.

"Well, I spoke to an officer with the Boston police, they tracked down Mrs. Gold's ex-boyfriend who, if the timeline fits, could be the father. The officer informed me that the gentleman, a Mr. Jones, told them that he intended to come here and get a DNA test to prove paternity. Even then, it will take weeks for the DNA test to come back and then it could take months for the investigation to complete to the point where he would be allowed to take the child with him, if he is in fact the father."

"David, what's going to happen for the time being? The baby is going to get released from the hospital soon, where is she going to go?"

Emma knew in that moment what she needed to do, both for the baby and for herself. These past few years she has felt like there was something missing in her life and ever since she set eyes on that beautiful baby in the car today she knew that she was meant to be there, she was meant to save that baby. She had tried to push the feelings away, too scared at what it could mean but now she knew, she was meant to care for that child, even if it was temporary.

"I'll take her, she can come home with me."

The looks on her friend's faces would have made her laugh if the conversation wasn't so serious. David and Mary Margaret looked at her with barely veiled concern and Graham and August just looked at her questioningly; all of them had an expression of shock as well.

"Emma…" Mary Margaret, always the comforting mother-type moved closer to her but Emma moved backwards before she could reach her. Hurt flashed before her eyes and Emma instantly felt guilty. She hates hurting her friends with her distance but it's the only way she knows how to protect herself.

David put his hand on his wife's arm, stalling her movements as well as trying to comfort her. "Emma, why don't we talk privately in my office. Graham, August, can you please contact the Boston P.D. again and find out when we can expect Mr. Jones?"

The two deputies get to work as David, Mary Margaret, and Emma slip into David's small office.

Emma already knew what they were going to say; they were going to try to talk her out of it, to let the baby go somewhere else, to keep her from getting attached, but it was too late. She was attached to the child the moment she saw her.

"Emma…"

"Don't! I know what I am doing."

"Do you? Because I'm not sure you do." David was always the level headed one of the two and he liked to play the father/big brother role in her life ever since they met all those years ago.

"Guys, I know you are worried, I know you just want to look out for me but I need you to understand that I  _need_ to do this!"

She felt the emotions that she has been trying to hold back all day start to boil on the surface once more. Looking down at her hands, she tried to gather her thoughts without letting her emotions take over completely.

"After what happened years ago I've felt lost, like I'm missing a part of myself and today, for the first time in years, I feel like I've got that part of me back. I know I am setting myself up for heartache, I know that I will only have the child for a small amount of time but, to me, it's worth it to feel whole again, even if it's just for a little while. Besides, what is the child's alternative? The foster system? She would be shipped to Boston and then moved around for god knows how long until the dust settles on the case and the father is found. I grew up in that situation and it's no place for a child to be."

Sitting down behind his desk, David contemplated what Emma just said. He knew about her past, the tragedies she went through, but his gut was telling him that everything would work out for the best.

"Alright Emma, you will become the child's temporary foster mother. Due to the circumstances, we can file emergency papers to skip the waiting period and we can have Tink run over to complete the home visit in the morning. In the meantime, why don't you and Mary Margaret take the department credit card and pick up the supplies that you will need for the next few months. You will need a basinet, clothes, diapers, etc., whatever the baby will need."

Emma launched herself at David, tears and laughter spilling out of her. Mary Margaret quickly grabbed the offered credit card and then Emma's hand as she dragged her happily out of the station and into the closest (and only) baby shop in the town.

A couple hours later Emma's apartment was filled with onesies, bottles, toys, and diapers and Emma was on her way to the hospital to pick up the baby with a brand new car seat strapped into the back of the bug.

Walking into the hospital, Emma was greeted by Dr. Whale.

"Hey Emma, she's all ready for you upstairs. I just need you to sign a couple of forms before you take her."

She quickly filled out all of the forms he provided, bid him farewell, and made her way to the nursery. Luckily Anna had finished her shift a few hours earlier and couldn't delay her exit with her chatter.

Walking over to the baby's basinet, Emma's face brightened with a huge smile.

"Hello beautiful! Are you ready to go home?"

The baby looked up at Emma and she could have sworn that she smiled at her but the nurses were quick to burst her bubble and claim that it was gas.

Quickly, Emma transferred the baby over to the new car seat and buckled her in. Thanking the nurses and accepting a small bag filled with formula and some diapers, Emma made her way back outside and to the bug. After snapping the carrier into the base that was secure in the back seat, Emma started the car and made her way to her apartment, giddy with excitement and anticipation.

* * *

**Author Note: Ok, chapter 4 is in the books! And Chapter 5 will be the chapter that everyone is waiting for! Killian and Emma WILL meet in the next chapter! And thank you to everyone who left a review and remember I am still taking suggestions for what to name the baby! I am hoping to post chapter 5 sometime tomorrow and I will have picked a name by then, so please leave a review ASAP if you have a suggestion! Thanks again! You're all awesome!**


	5. Chapter 5

Emma and the baby arrived home just before 11pm that night. The drive from the hospital was about a 10-minute drive but Emma drove a little under the speed limit due to the baby, making it closer to a 15-minute drive.

Emma's apartment was a small two bedroom loft a block away from the docks; Emma had a clear view of the water from her bedroom window and it was the main reason why she picked that specific apartment.

When Emma made her way to Storybrooke 5 years ago it was by mistake; she made a wrong turn and got herself completely lost on her way to Boston. Low on funds, Emma ended up spending the night in her bug outside of the local diner, Granny's.

The next morning she heard a tap on the window and woke to find a young couple looking in the window at her.

Embarrassed, Emma had climbed out of her bug to greet the couple. They introduced themselves as David Nolan and Mary Margaret Blanchard and immediately invited her to join them for breakfast, their treat.

That night Emma found herself sleeping in the spare room of the couple's newly rented apartment and a week later Emma joined David at the Storybrooke police station as a clerk. 8 months after that Emma felt confident enough in her self and went searching for her own apartment.

She had visited 7 different apartments throughout the town, all of them one bedroom/one bathroom, but it wasn't until she visited her 8th apartment that she knew she had found her home. She almost didn't take it at first, not needing a second bedroom, but after Mary Margaret and David saw the apartment and saw just how much Emma loved it, they urged her to reconsider, and she did.

After being in her apartment for a few months Emma began to feel a little lonely.

Growing up in the foster system, she wasn't used to having a place all to herself, and as an adult she always had at least one other person in the house with her. So one morning Emma made a trip down to the Storybrooke Animal Shelter and found herself a new house mate, a small white puppy that she lovingly names Ava. The two became the best of friends and Emma loves nothing more than to come home at the end of the day to play with her little fur-baby.

As Emma pushed through the door with the baby carrier in one hand and the hospital bag in the other, she could hear Ava barking happily at her feet.

"Shhh Ava, we have a new friend!"

Placing the carrier down on the floor, Emma quickly swept Ava up in her arms for a quick cuddle. Moving further into the apartment, Emma grabbed the dogs leash and clipped it onto her collar and grabbed some puppy poopy bags so she can take the pup out for a quick walk.

Placing Ava back on the floor, the pup walked cautiously over to the baby carrier.

Emma watched as the baby and the dog saw each other for the first time. Ava sniffed the baby a bit before giving her a small lick on her cheek causing the baby to reply with a swing of her arms, a kick of her feet, and small smile.

Emma unbuckled the baby from the carrier so she could take her and Ava outside for a walk.

Emma, Ava, and the baby returned to the loft 15 minutes later, the night air warm and breezy making it a comfortable night to take an extended walk by the dock.

Once back inside, Emma grabbed a fresh diaper and onesie to change the baby into before putting her down to sleep.

"Alright sweetie, let's get you changed and what do you think about a bottle before bed, hmm? Alright!" Emma felt slightly ridiculous talking baby talk but couldn't help it or the smile that seemed to be permanently attached to her face.

Once a clean diaper and onesie were in place, Emma picked up the carrier to place on the kitchen island so that she could sit the baby in it while she prepared her bottle. Moving around the kitchen, Emma talked to the baby as much as possible, trying to get her comfortable with the sound of her voice. Emma knew from experience that babies so small rely on the sounds, touches, and smell of their mothers for comfort, and since her mother abandoned her, Emma was the next best thing.

Bottle ready, Emma gathered the baby into her arms and made her way to her bedroom. She climbed up onto the bed, baby in her arms, and Ava right behind her.

Snuggling down into the soft pillows and blankets, Emma began to feed the baby.

Looking her over, she noticed that besides the bluest eyes she had ever seen, the baby also had the cutest little nose and mouth giving her small and delicate features to go along with the little bit of peach fuzz blonde/red hair on her head.

"Hey beautiful, what should I call you. I have to call you something; I can't keep calling you sweetie all the time. Hmm, maybe Ashley? No, too common. Uh, what about Sierra? Eh, no, you don't look like a Sierra." Looking around her room, Emma searched for inspiration. She was at a loss until her eyes searched around her bookshelf and she settled on her favorite book, Pride and Prejudice.

"What about Elizabeth? Yeah, I like it!" The baby released the bottle and let out a loud burp. "Oh my goodness, baby girl! Does that mean you approve? Alright, it's decided then, Elizabeth, Ellie for short."

Ellie finished her bottle quickly and Emma propped her up on her shoulder to burp.

After letting out another impressive burp, Emma pulled the baby down to rest on her chest while she turned the television on to catch up on some of her shows. It was during Jimmy Fallon's monologue that Emma heard her phone ring. Reaching over, Emma answered it before it could disrupt the baby who was quickly on her way to sleep.

"Hello?"

"How's it going?" Mary Margaret, of course.

Peering down at the baby in her arms, Emma smiled. "It's going well, Ellie is just about to fall asleep. We've had a good night, we took Ava out for a walk by the docks and I changed and fed her before, and now we are snuggled in bed."

"Ellie?"

"Short for Elizabeth."

"You named her? Emma, I know what you said earlier at the station about knowing what you are doing but don't you think you might be getting too attached to her?"

Emma sighed and rested her head back onto the headboard. "I have to call her something, Mary Margaret! She doesn't have a legal name and we don't know what her mother called her and we have no idea how long it's going to be until we identify her father, if we do! So I'm calling her Elizabeth or Ellie in the meantime, once we find her father he is welcome to give her a real name. And I can't help growing attached to her; she is a beautiful helpless little girl who was left to die. She deserves all the love and care I can give her. I'm sorry if that upsets you but I'm a big girl and I understand that I will lose her sometime, possibly really soon but I want to make the most out of our time together."

She was embarrassed to find herself on the verge of tears and forced herself to calm down. Ellie sensed the change in her emotions and started to fuss a bit in her sleep, only calming when Emma placed one of her hands on her back.

"I'm sorry Emma, I just worry about you. I saw what happened to you after what happened with Henry and I don't want to see you grow attached to this child only to lose her too."

"I don't want to talk about Henry, this is about Ellie, and everything will be alright, I promise."

It didn't take long for Mary Margaret and Emma to finish up their conversation and for Emma to start getting ready for bed. Pulling the bassinet closer to the bed, Emma placed the sleeping baby down and then made her way to the bathroom to complete her nightly routine.

Once completed, Emma crawled back into bed and scooted as close to the bassinet as she could without falling out of bed and then turned off the television. No more than 5 minutes later she was fast asleep, one hand reaching inside the bassinet, hand resting on the baby's stomach.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Killian Jones found himself on the road to Storybrooke bright and early the next morning. He was nervous to return to the small town not only because there was a child there that had a very large chance of being his but also because he hadn't returned to the town since his brother returned to Ireland 6 years ago.

He had left friendships there to die and was worried about what kind of homecoming he would get, especially once Mr. Gold realized he was back in town. Although Milah had left him many years before he started dating her, Mr. Gold has been blaming Killian for the failure of his marriage since he found out about his and Milah's relationship. It never made sense to him since Mr. Gold had found love with the town's young librarian a full 2 years before he and Milah had started their relationship.

It was around 10am when Killian pulled into Storybrooke and he drove directly to the police station, eager to get the whole process of the DNA test over with and to see the child that could be his.

He pulled into an open spot right near the front door, noticing the bright yellow bug parked along side him.

Walking through the front door of the police station gave him flashbacks from when he was younger and got caught with one of his friends drinking underage on the docks and got arrested and an angry Liam had to come down and bail him out.

Moving towards the main office of the station Killian can hear voices, one he immediately recognized as one of his best friends from high school, David.

Entering the room, Killian saw David talking with 2 other men that he recognized but couldn't put a name to and a woman who had her back to him. Her long blonde hair fell down her back and moved gently as her body swayed from side to side.

Hearing the approaching footsteps, David turned his head towards the door and saw Killian Jones come walking in.

"Well I'll be a monkey's uncle! Killian Jones, what the hell are you doing here?" David walked over and embraced Killian in a quick, manly hug.

That was when he saw her. The blonde woman had turned around as David embraced him and he was able to see her face.

Never in his life had he seen anything so beautiful and it took his breath away. It wasn't until a few minutes later that he realized that the woman help a small baby in her arms and he lost his breath all over again.

The baby was the spitting image of him.

He knew then that she was his daughter.

Forgetting that David, or anyone else for that matter, was in the room, Killian walked straight towards the woman and extended his hand.

"Hi, I'm Killian Jones and I believe that the little girl in your arms in my daughter."

The blonde seemed to pull the child closer to her chest before extending her hand.

"Hi, I'm Emma Swan."

* * *

**Author Note: So guys, what do you think? I tried to give you a little more background on Emma and I will give you the full story of her past concerning Henry sometime soon, I promise! I want to thank everyone for their suggestions regarding the name for the baby! It was really hard for me to decide but Killian will still have a say as to what will happen to the child, if it's his, and that includes the name. ;) Please review and I am still open to any suggestions you have for me! Again, I am not very good at this but I am kinda proud of what I have done so far! And thanks to all the new followers/favorites! You guys are awesome!**


	6. Chapter 6

_"Hi, I'm Killian Jones and I believe that the little girl in your arms in my daughter."_

_The blonde seemed to pull the child closer to her chest before extending her hand._

_"Hi, I'm Emma Swan."_

The Sheriff's station was silent for what felt like forever; the space between Killian and Emma was so charged that it seemed to lull them into a trance that everyone but them could see.

The spell was broken when the baby began to fuss in Emma's arms.

"She needs to be changed, excuse me." Emma quickly grabs the diaper bag and heads for the ladies room.

Killian eyes followed her until she disappears around the corner and down the hall. Turning back to the rest of the people in the room, he hugs and chats with his longtime friends, eager to catch up on lost years. All four had been the best of friends throughout high school but lost touch when Killian moved to Boston for college.

"So Jones, what have you been up to since we last saw you?"

Killian sat down in front of Graham's desk when the officers returned to their seats.

"Well, I got my bachelors and my master in education from Boston University and I have been teaching high school in the city since, nothing really major to report."

"Except the fact that you might possibly have a daughter now." August said loudly, never one to sugar coat anything.

"Yeah, it looks like it."

"How in the world did you get involved with Milah Gold, Killian? You knew about her and Gold, you knew how crazy the both of them were. Why would you willingly get yourself involved in that mess?"

Killian hadn't been expecting this from David but the more he thought about it the more he realized he should have. David had always played the older brother figure since his actual older brother turned into more of a father figure. He had always kept David close to him during high school, knowing that his strong moral compass would help keep him out of trouble, which it did most of the time.

"It's not what you are thinking Dave. Milah and I ran into each other nearly two years ago in a bar in Boston, she had already left Gold long before I came into the picture. I hadn't seen, heard, or even thought about her since I left Storybrooke, but when I saw her in Boston she seemed so small; battered and broken. We became friends at first and I helped her get out of an abusive relationship and a few months later we started seeing each other. It had nothing to do with our lives in Storybrooke or Gold, it was just about us, but things were never easy with her. She had issues that never seemed to go away and we broke up constantly but I loved her, or at least thought I loved her, so we kept getting back together. We were so back and forth, unhealthy really, but I cared about her so much that I kept going back, that was up until 6 months ago when she left me for good, without a word."

"Have you ever gone that long without getting back together?" asked Graham. He seemed to be taking notes on his history with Milah.

"No, we usually would get back together within a few weeks, a month tops. I knew this was for good after a few months went by, which I wasn't too sad to admit once I found out that she had been sleeping with other men behind my back."

The officer's heads shot up at that last statement, giving each other looks.

"So you have reason to believe that the child may not be yours?"

"I did when I first heard about the baby but when I saw her just a few minutes ago I knew, she's mine."

* * *

With a fresh diaper, Ellie continued to fuss in Emma's arms.

"What's wrong sweetie? Are you hungry?"

Finding a comfortable chair in an empty room, Emma pulled out a small bottle and started to feed the hungry baby. Ellie gulped down her formula at a speed that Emma had not seen her do yet, which made her giggle softly to herself.

As she sat there in silence, Emma realized that she could hear everything that was being said in the other room. She listened to Killian's story about the child's mother and her heart dropped when she heard him say he knew that the baby was his.

For the past 24 hours, Emma has secretly been hoping that the case would go cold on Milah and that no father would come forward so that she could keep the baby herself. She has no way of explaining why, in such a short amount of time, this baby, her Ellie, has become so important to her. She couldn't explain why or how she has fallen so in love with this baby so quickly, all she knows is that she has.

She knows it probably has to do with the fact that she is a mother who doesn't have her real baby but deep down she knows it was something else.

Finding that child abandoned, left alone to die, touched a place in Emma that made her remember how her own parents left her on the side of the road, how they left her to die in the cold.

She wanted to give Ellie a different life; different from the life she had growing up in foster care and different from the life a life growing up with parents who clearly didn't care for her, like Milah.

But with this Killian Jones in the picture, that future she has been thinking about non-stop since yesterday was slowly slipping away from her.

Ellie finished her bottle, so Emma lifted her to her shoulder and began to pat and rub the babies back to encourage a burp. Once she got two solid burps out of the baby, Emma repacked the diaper day, secured the baby to her chest, and made her way back into the main room of the station.

Walking into the room, all eyes moved to her, the sound of her shoes against the floor announcing her entrance back into the room.

Killian sat chatting with her colleagues but stood to approach her once she moved further into the room.

"I've been chatting with the men and we've agreed that the next step we should take would be to have the DNA test performed, is that alright with you love?"

Killian spoke to Emma but had his eyes drawn to the baby in her arms.

Looking over at David, Emma was able to gather comfort from her friend.

"Sure, why don't I take you over to the hospital, we can chat on the way there."

"That's a smart idea, Emma." Said David. "You two should get comfortable with one another. Killian, Emma is acting as the baby's foster parent until we get things straightened out. As I'm sure they told you in Boston, the DNA test will take a couple weeks to get back and even then we need to clear you from any connection from what happened to the baby yesterday. Legally, we may not be able to let you leave Storybrooke with the baby for a few months. Until that time, she will have to reside under Emma's care, but I'm sure the two of you can work something out."

Nodding, the two strangers made their way out of the Sheriff's station and out into the parking lot, both lost in thought.

"This one's mine." Emma said as she walked up to her bug. Unlocking the door, Emma motioned for Killian to sit in the front passenger seat as she secured the baby in her car seat in the back.

Once she was strapped in, the baby began to fuss again.

Emma began searching through the diaper bag as she began talking softly to the baby.

"It's ok Ellie, I know what you want. Hold on… here you go!" producing a pacifier from the bag, Emma smiled in triumph as she placed it in Ellie's mouth and she quickly began to fall asleep.

Climbing into the drivers seat, Emma started up the bug and began the short drive to the hospital. August mentioned to them as they were leaving that he would give Dr. Whale a call to let them know that they were on their way in for the DNA test.

"Do you have any questions for me, Mr. Jones?"

"Please, call me Killian, lass. Only my students call me Mr. Jones and even then I hate it."

Emma fought a smile. She didn't want to like him, she wanted him to take the DNA test, have it come back negative, and for him to go home and let her live her life with her Ellie. But deep down she knew it wouldn't be that easy.

"And yes, love, I do have a question. Was it you?"

Her eyes flew from the road to look at him, finding him looking directly at her.

"What do you mean?"

"The officer in Boston who told me about what happened yesterday. He said a female officer found the baby locked in a car and rescued her; saved her life. Now my question is, was it you?"

Emma was silent, her mind reliving the horrible events that took place yesterday in the parking lot.

"Yes, it was me."

Killian reached over and grasped Emma's right hand.

"Thank you, Swan. Not everyone would have done what you did and I want to thank you for that. If you hadn't noticed the baby in the back of the car who knows how much longer it would have taken for somebody else to notice her and if it would have been too late or not. The baby could have so easily died yesterday given her age but because of you she is still alive. Because of you I have a chance to raise my daughter.

Her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach for what felt like the thousandth time that day, her mouth becoming dry.

"We don't know if she is your daughter yet."

"I do and she is, I can tell just by looking at her but I am more than happy to follow the rules and take my time. Just as long as you are alright with all of this, I mean, from what David said, you could have the baby with you for a while…"

"Yes, it's fine, I like having her with me. She is a sweet baby."

The conversation in the car fell silent for the remainder of the short ride to the hospital. When they arrived there, they found Dr. Whale waiting for them outside with a smile on his face.

* * *

**Authors Note: Ok, what do you think? It was a relatively hard chapter for me to write, I had a few different ideas as to how I wanted the two to meet and how they should interact for the first time and I am still not sure if I am happy with it. If you have any requests/ideas as to how you would like the two to progress or anything you would like to see the couple do/talk about, just let me know! Please review! Thank you and much love!**


	7. Chapter 7

"I can't believe Creepy Victor is a doctor!"

When they arrived at the hospital over half an hour ago, Dr. Victor Whale who was quickly called away on an emergency greeted them. Before leaving them, Dr. Whale pointed them in the direction of an empty exam room. Once settled inside, Killian and Emma spend the next half an hour getting to know one another; really it was just Killian sharing stories about David, August, and Graham from high school, and now the topic was changed to the very person they were waiting on.

Emma laughed out loud, the sound bouncing around the quiet room. "Creepy Victor?!"

"That's what we called him in school years ago; he was always spending his free time in the science lab messing around with dead animals, you know the ones that you would dissect in biology class. He would even stitch the body parts back together when he was done but put them in all the wrong places! That earned him the title Victor Frankenstein for a while. It got so bad that he graduated early and then disappeared."

"Wow that is creepy! From what I've heard, he went to school in Portland and worked his way quickly through the program, graduated early there and returned to Storybrooke to complete his residency. Now, he is one of our best doctors."

Hearing a knock at the door, the conversation stopped as a moment later Dr. Whale entered the room.

"So sorry about the wait, a kid was brought in with a broken arm, he is off getting an x-ray right now so I ran over here to get this done real quick. All right, let's get started. Emma, why don't we do the baby first?"

Emma lifted Ellie out of her carrier and brought her over to the exam table, holding her in place so that Dr. Whale could draw the blood.

When the needle pierced the skin, the baby began to wail, pulling at the strings to Emma's heart along with Killian's. The pair hated to see the baby in pain but knew that the tears were really the cause of being scared, rather than being in real pain.

As soon as Dr. Whale was done Emma scooped the baby into her arms and tried to calm her down.

Killian watched as Emma took care of his daughter and he could tell by the look in her eyes that there was something more than just the affection of a police officer watching after an abandoned child; this looked more like the love and affection a mother would give to her own child.

"It's ok sweetie, it's ok sweet Ellie. It's all over." Emma whispered softly to the baby so only she could hear, but looking over at Killian, who was getting his own blood taken, she could tell that he heard every word.

"Alright, you're all set. The test results won't be back for at least 2 weeks and it could actually be a bit longer because one of our lab techs has been out on vacation, but once we get the results back, I will be sure to send them right over to the station."

The two thanked Dr. Creepy, as Killian nicknamed him earlier in their visit, and made their way back to the car. Once they were all settled back in the yellow car Emma turned to Killian.

"Are you hungry? It's lunchtime if you are up for a trip to the local diner. They make the best grilled cheese!"

"Granny's? Oh my god, I have dreamed of her food for years. Yes, please, let's go!"

Not even 10 minutes later Emma and Killian walked through the door of Granny's Diner, bell ringing above the door alerting the staff of new customers.

The two made their way to an available booth and seated themselves. Emma placed the baby carrier on the inside of the booth with the baby facing her.

"Well look what the cat dragged in! Killian Jones, what in the world are you doing back in Storybrooke?"

Granny Lucas was one of Killian's favorite people in the world; she had always treated him as one of her own and made him feel like family in times when he really needed it.

Jumping to his feet, Killian pulled the older woman into his arms. "Oh Granny, how I have missed you, I am back for some personal business that I will catch you up on at another time, how have you been these past years, mum?"

"I've been well, Ruby decided to start helping me more around here a few years back and thinks that I should start grooming her to take over within the next year or two but I'm not sure if I'm ready to give this place up just yet. Anyway, you must be hungry, want me to whip you up your old usual?"

Killian's eyes grew wide and his mouth began to water.

"Oh yes please."

Grinning, Granny turned to Emma. "Your usual too, deputy?"

At Emma's nod Granny headed back into the kitchen to place their orders. Killian returned to their seats and shared some small talk until their food arrived a bit later.

"Here you go; grilled cheese, onion rings, and a coke for Emma and a bacon cheeseburger with French fries and a root beer for Killian. Is there anything else I can get you?" It was then that Granny finally spotted the baby beside Emma.

"Oh my goodness, Emma, is this the baby that you rescued yesterday? Oh, she is just so precious! Mind if I hold her?"

"Not at all!" Emma stood and carefully unlatched all of the belts from the car seat and gently lifted the baby out and into Granny's arms.

"Oh, she is so small and beautiful. You haven't found her parents yet?"

Emma was stuck; should she mention the question of Killian's paternity of the child or keep her mouth shut? She didn't want to offend Killian in any way but she also didn't want to say anything before the tests results came back. Sending a quick look to Killian, she hoped that he would understand, and turned back to give Granny her answer.

"Not yet, but we're working on it. I have temporary custody of her until things get worked out."

"Mind if I keep her occupied while you eat? It's been so long since I've held a baby this small!"

Emma smiled and nodded at Granny who quickly made her way to the room behind the kitchen, no doubt showing off the baby to her granddaughter Ruby who likes to take her breaks back there.

Walking back to the table, Emma sat down and began to eat her food, awkwardly trying to avoid looking and talking to Killian. After more than 5 minutes have passed in silence Emma couldn't take it any longer.

"I'm sorry I didn't say anything to Granny about you possibly being the baby's father, I just think it might be a good idea to keep that quiet until we get the test results back."

"It's alright love, I know you need confirmation and you're right, we should wait to tell people I am her father until the results can back it up. It's the smart choice."

The two went back to their meal, thinking about what the other had to say and just thinking about the other person in general. There was an attraction between them that they both felt but were both trying to ignore, choosing to think and talk about the baby instead.

"Have you given any thought to what you might do if the test comes back positive?" Emma asks, eyes cast down on her food. Whereas she would still like the test to come back negative so that she could have a chance to keep the baby herself, the more she looked into his eyes the more she knew that wouldn't happen. Those same eyes that she has been falling in love with on Ellie's beautiful face are right there on Killian's face as well.

" _When_  the test comes back positive," Killian smiled, "I don't know for sure yet what I will do. Like David said, it could take months for them to clear me in what happened and allowing me to take her. But the extra time could also be a good thing."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, my life in Boston isn't great. I have a beautiful apartment in the city but it isn't really a place where I could raise my daughter and then there is my job."

Lifting her head for the first time since they started talking, Emma looked up and regarded Killian. "What about it?"

"I hate it. Not the profession but the school and the environment that the city has become. I have wanted to leave and change things a bit for the past year or so but haven't really had anything to push me into doing anything, but now with the baby, I have that push and a purpose, and after coming back to Storybrooke today it makes me remember how much I enjoy being in a small town."

"Have you given any thought about moving back to Storybrooke?"

"The thought has crossed my mind throughout the years but now I am definitely leaning towards it." He winked.

Smiling, the two went back to their lunch. Sometime towards the end of their meal Granny brought the baby back and when they tried to pay their bill Granny just shooed them off making Killian promise to visit before he left town and for Emma to bring the baby around again soon.

After buckling the baby back into her car seat the two made their way back to the bug for the third time that day.

When everyone was settled into the car, air conditioning blasting, Emma turned to Killian. "What are your plans now? Since it will be some time before the DNA results get back and even more time to get everything settled, what are you going to do? I assume you still have to go back to Boston for work."

"Yeah, I do. The principal was not happy with me when I told him that I had to leave town for a day. Fortunately I only have a month left of summer school to complete and then a month off before the regular school year begins. Hopefully I will have things figured out more by then."

The two fell into silence, something that seemed to happen often with the two since their meeting earlier in the day but it wasn't always an awkward silence; as the day goes and they become more comfortable around each other the silence becomes more comfortable as well.

The baby began to fuss in the back seat, Killian and Emma looked back to check on her. "She's probably hungry and in need of a change. Would you mind if we run by my apartment? It would be easier to take care of her there rather then the station."

"Of course!"

Killian was surprised when Emma pulled her car up to the apartment, seeing how close to the water it is. Climbing out of the car, Killian rounded the back and offered to carry the car seat for her. She was reluctant to let go of the baby but did so knowing that he was simply trying to be nice and that they were just going straight up to her apartment.

Walking through the front door, Emma felt a moment of panic; this was the first time anyone besides David and Mary Margaret has been in her apartment. She was such a private and lonely person that it was hard for her to open up to others enough to invite them into her home.

The baby's fussing had now developed into a full-blown wail.

"Oh sweetie, it's ok. Let me get you a bottle."

Emma lifted the carrier from where Killian had placed it on the floor and brought it over to place on the island in the kitchen so she could be closer to her as she fixed the bottle.

"Would you like me to get her out of there for you?" Killian asked as Emma was close to completing the bottle.

"Sure."

Killian's heart leapt in his chest; this is the first time he has had the opportunity to touch his child. Carefully, he unbuckled all of the straps of the carrier and then as gently as possible he lifted the baby out and into his arms.

Bottle in hand, Emma turned around just in time to see Killian bring the baby into his arms and settle her close to his chest. The baby's cries began to soften but didn't go away completely, her eyes looking up at Killian's. Tearing her eyes away from the baby, Emma allowed herself to observe Killian; tears in his eyes, huge smile on his face, and a gentle sway to his body.

Her heart swelled and for the first time since becoming attached to the child it didn't fill her heart with dread thinking of the baby's possible father, in fact, it warmed her heart to see the two connect.

Moving into the room, Emma offered Killian the bottle.

"Why don't you feed her, she seems comfortable in your arms."

Taking the bottle, Killian offered Emma a silent 'thank you' and then began to feed the baby, quieting her cries the moment the bottle settled in her mouth. It didn't take long before the baby drank half of the bottle before beginning to nod off to sleep.

Looking over to Emma who had been silently watching the two, Killian asked what needed to be done next.

"Slowly lift her to rest on one of your shoulders and then begin to pat her back firmly but gently to try to encourage a burp or two."

Doing as instructed, Killian began to burp the baby softly and once she produced two loud burps, Killian returned the child to rest on his chest and allowed her to drift off to sleep.

"Can I ask you something Emma?"

"Yeah."

"Earlier today when we were at the hospital I heard you call the baby Ellie, is that her name?"

Blushing, Emma lowered her face a bit.

"Technically she doesn't have a name yet. Her birth certificate was never completed when she was born and there has been no evidence of any kind n regards to a name for her when we found her, so last night after I brought her home I decided to pick a name to call her. It felt too weird to keep calling her 'baby' or 'sweetie' all the time so I settled on the name Elizabeth but then kind of stuck with the nickname Ellie. I'm sorry if you don't like it and once the DNA results come back you are more than welcome to give her any name of your choosing."

Emma knew she was babbling but couldn't seem to stop until she felt one of his hands enclose hers. Looking up into his eyes she could see nothing but tenderness there for her.

"It's perfect, love. Elizabeth was my mothers name and Ellie is a beautiful nickname for her. I think I might just stick with that name once the results come back. I think it's about time that there was another Elizabeth Jones in this world, what do you think little lass? Do you like that?"

Killian spoke to the child in his arms and Emma couldn't help the tears that filled her eyes or the feelings that filled her heart.

Seeing the ease, love, and happiness in the way that Killian handled and acted with Ellie made Emma feel so many emotions. She could look into Killian's eyes and see the love he had for the small child and where it frightened her because she knew he could easily take the child from her and walk away one day soon it also made her heart swell with happiness.

She didn't know how but just like the child in his arms, Killian Jones has started to slip himself into Emma's heart somehow in an extraordinary short amount of time and it scared her. It scared her more than anything has scared her in a very long time.

* * *

**Author's Note: Hey guys! So, this chapter was a bit longer and was probably one of the hardest chapters I have written so far in this story. I hope you like it! Please review and tell me your thoughts! There will be some more Killian and Emma bonding time as well as bonding time for both with Ellie! Thanks so much to all of the people who have reviewed and followed this story so far, you guys are awesome and I don't know what I would do without you! Thank you so much!**


	8. Chapter 8

Later that day finds Killian and Emma settled on the couch talking softly, trying not to disturb the sleeping baby who rests on the couch between them, as well as Emma's dog Ava who made her presence known not long after their arrival in the apartment earlier in the day.

The conversation was simple; both sharing stories about their friends in Storybrooke, Emma talked about some of her more entertaining arrests, Killian talked about his students, both never letting the conversation get too personal.

When the sky started to darken, Killian looked down at his watch to realize how late it was getting. Sighing, he turned to look back at Emma. "It's getting late; I should probably head back to Boston, so I have work in the morning."

Emma feels a pang of sadness hit her at the thought of his departure but quickly pushes it away.

"Why don't I walk you back to your car? The station isn't too far from here and it's a beautiful night, besides Ava could use the walk."

Killian agrees and helps Emma by hooking Ava's leash to her collar while she changes the baby's diaper.

When they are ready, Emma, Killian, Ellie, and Ava walk outside and start the short trip to the sheriff's station.

The easy conversation that flowed throughout the day seems to be missing as they walk in silence together.

It took just under 10 minutes for them to reach the Sheriff's station, the building lit bright, letting Emma know that a colleague or two still hard at work.

They made their way over to where Killian's car sat, right next to what Emma had deemed 'her spot' in front of the station. They stop at the driver's door and turn to each other, the air between them once again filled with awkward silence.

"Emma, I want to thank you for everything you have done for Ellie these past few days. I know you may not be fully convinced of my paternity yet but soon that won't be an issue and I want you to know how appreciative I am for you taking my daughter in, not just into your home but into your heart. I can tell that you care about her quite a bit and it warms my heart; I don't know what kind of a life she has lived since she was born but after what happened to her I can only imagine that it wasn't the greatest or most loving environment and she deserves all the love in the world and I know that you can and will give her that."

Smiling, Emma released a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. She has been incredibly nervous that Killian would find be upset by how close she was becoming with the baby and would try to encourage her to stop, it was a huge relief to find that he wasn't.

"There's no need to thank me, Killian, I just did what anybody would have done."

"Anybody else would have tried to save her from the car yes, but no one else would have tried to save her from her life and by taking her in that is what you've done. I know that she was supposed to go into foster care after being released from the hospital, the officer I spoke to in Boston told me how that was the plan until you stepped up. You truly are a special person love, don't lump yourself in with everyone else. Everyone else would have let them do whatever they wanted with her and walk away. You're different Swan, you're special."

Emma was speechless; no one has ever spoken about her this way in her life and it was making her have all different kinds of emotions.

Seeing the tears form in her eyes, Killian smiled. "Just say 'you're welcome' Swan, I'm not leaving until you do."

Laughing, Emma gave him the 'you're welcome' he was looking for yet it was not as loud as he would have liked, but he let it slide.

Handing over Ava's leash, Killian reached over to take Ellie into his arms, giving her a warm hug.

Cradling the small baby in his arms, he looked into her eyes. "Alright Ellie, Daddy has to go away for a little bit but I promise that I will be back as soon as I can! Now, you be good for Emma, little lass. I love you!"

With a gentle kiss to the top of her head, Killian placed Ellie back in Emma's arms.

Emma could see that Killian was getting rather emotional himself as he opened the door to his car, turning towards her.

"I'll talk to you soon, Emma."

With that he climbed into the car and started the engine, but he didn't leave.

Looking into the window, Emma saw Killian just sitting in the driver's seat, staring out the front window. A minute later he rolled down the window, looking up at Emma, tears glistening up at her. "This is harder than I thought, leaving her."

"She'll be alright, Killian. I promise you."

"I know, it's just… how can you love someone so much that you've only just met?"

Emma smiled, "It's called being a parent Killian. Don't worry, it get's easier, but I think you'll do just fine."

Smiling sadly, Killian remained seated in his car.

Emma was at a loss as to what she could do to help him, that is, until a thought came to mind.

"Give me your phone."

Without hesitating Killian handed over his cell phone.

_He has an iPhone, perfect!_

Emma quickly entered her phone number and email address into the phone and then snapped about a half dozen pictures of the baby in her arms. Smiling, she handed the phone back to him.

"There you go, now you can see her whenever you want. I have an iPhone as well, so feel free to call, text, and FaceTime me whenever you want."

"Thank you lass but I think there might be one more thing I would like."

"And what would that be?"

Lifting his phone, Killian quickly snapped a couple photos of Emma and Ellie together before she could protest.

"Now I am all set. Would you like me to give you a lift back to your apartment, love?"

"That's ok, I think I'm going to run into the station real quick and then walk back home. Thanks, though."

Killian gave her a smile that hit her right in the stomach, making it feel like there were a thousand butterflies trying to escape.

Suddenly without words, Emma simply smiled and waved as Killian finally pulled the car slowly out of the spot.

"Talk to you soon, Swan!" he yelled out the window and then he was gone, his car gelling smaller and smaller down the road before turning out of view.

It takes Emma several minutes to calm herself down, allowing her flushed cheeks to return to their normal coloring before bringing herself to walk into the station to check in with whoever was there.

Walking with Ellie in her arms and Ava beside her, Emma made her way into the station to find David working away in his office.

"Late night, Sheriff?"

David jumped at the sound of her voice, head shooting up to find her standing in the doorway to his office.

Laughing softly, "Yeah, it seems like there is a never ending pile of paperwork that needs to get done around here. What about you, what brings you here?"

Sitting down in the chair in front of David's desk, Emma reached down to unhook the leash from Ava's collar, allowing the dog to run over and jump into David's lap.

"I was just walking Killian back to his car. He needed to head back to Boston for work tomorrow. So I thought I would pop in and say hi while I was here."

Looking up from the pup in his lap, David regarded Emma's emotional state.

"How did it go with him today?"

"It was fine. After we left the hospital we had lunch at Granny's and then headed over to my apartment and just hung out there for the rest of the day, talking."

David regarded Emma for a minute; he knew that she could handle herself but the whole situation was so emotional and strange that he worried that there would be some long-term effects for her.

"What did you guys talk about?"

"Well, he told me that if the results come back positive that he is seriously thinking of moving back to Storybrooke."

"Really?"

This surprised him; he hadn't heard from Killian since a few months after he moved to Boston, in fact, no one had. David always thought that small town life bored him too much to come back, especially considering that Liam moved back to Ireland.

"Yeah, he said Boston wasn't where he sees himself anymore, especially not with Ellie. He said he's missed Storybrooke and has thought about moving back for a long time. From the way he talked throughout the day, I think he misses your friendship most of all. You meant a lot to him back then."

"Well, he meant a lot to me too."

Ellie chose that time to start fussing.

Emma turned to David, "Would you mind holding her real quick? I need to use the bathroom before heading back home."

Nodding, David put Ava on the floor, whipped his hands on his pants to rid them of any dog hair, and moved forward to accept the baby into his arms.

Stepping back, Emma watched as David looked down at the baby lovingly.

"You look good with a baby in your arms, David." She said quietly before making her way to the bathroom.

When she returned just a few minutes later the scene was completely different from the one she left them in; the fussing baby had turned into a full blown wailing baby, causing Ava to bark at David's feat.

One look at David's frazzled expression had Emma laughing until tears were running down her face.

_Maybe he isn't as ready for fatherhood as I thought._

Walking over to her friend, she gently took the crying baby from his arms and to both of their surprise she quieted down so fast that the only sound you heard were her softy hiccups from crying so hard.

Once the baby quieted, so did Ava,

"Well, it's clear she likes you a hell of a lot better than me!" David laughed.

"She's just more familiar with me, that's all, but I should be getting her home and fed. See you tomorrow."

With a quick hug, Emma was out the door with Ellie and Ava and headed home.

Once home, Emma gets Ellie bathed, changed, and fed within an hour and settles the sleeping child into her cradle for the night.

Then she is able to gets herself fed, bathed, and in bed not much later. Once in bed, Emma pulls out her phone to make sure that her alarm is set for the morning and that's when she notices she has a text message.

From him.

**_Hey Swan, I just wanted to thank you again for everything. You are doing such a great job with Ellie and I am sure that you will continue to do so while she is with you. I also want to thank you for allowing me the time to spend with her while we wait for the test result. It's much appreciated, lass. Until later- Killian_ **

She's not sure why the text sends butterflies through her stomach but it does. That seems to be a common occurrence today whenever Killian says something nice to her, or anything at all.

Blushing, she quickly types back a response.

**_No thanks necessary, Killian. I should be thanking you for not being upset with my affection for your daughter, I know I have crossed a line a bit where she is concerned but you've seen her, how could I resist!_ ** **_J_ ** **_Drive safe and call soon, I think Ellie already misses her Daddy. –Emma_ ** _._

Putting down her phone, Emma snuggls into her pillows, sighing happily into fabric.

It wasn't even a minute later when the phone alerts her to another message.

**_When it comes to you Emma, there is no line to cross. You're something special, lass. Get some sleep, I have a feeling a certain little one will have you up in just a few hours. - Killian_ **

Reading the message over and over again, Emma's heart beats wildly in her chest.

Finally putting the phone down, Emma stars up at the ceiling.

"Shit, I'm so screwed."

* * *

**Author Note: So what do you guys think? Thank you so much to all the new followers and to all of you who left reviews! This is the longest fic I have ever done and I am super proud of it! I have an idea as to what I am going to do throughout the story and I am pretty sure this is going to be a long one! If you have any ideas or requests, please let me know and I will try to fit them in as much as possible! Thanks again!**


	9. Chapter 9

As time passed, Emma and Ellie quickly fell into a routine and before they knew it 17 days had passed. Killian was due back in Storybrooke by the end of the week and the DNA test results were due back at any moment.

Not that Emma needed the DNA test to tell her anything that she didn't already know.

She knows that Ellie is his; she sees the evidence each day when she looks at Ellie and every time she FaceTime's with Killian, which is often.

They have been in near constant contact since they parted; they texted all day and night and then there were the calls.

Killian would call her multiple times a day; sometimes it was a quick call before his first class would start, other times he would call her during his lunch break. But like Emma and Ellie, Killian got into a routine as well; every night at exactly 8 pm Killian would call and FaceTime Emma to get to spend some time getting to know her and Ellie. These calls were never short, sometimes they would stay up talking into the early hours of the next day, leaving them both dragging from lack of sleep when they woke up, which was something Emma wasn't used to since Ellie is a surprisingly good sleeper and rarely wakes up in the middle of the night.

They shared stories about their day; Killian would fill her in on the everyday drama of teaching summer school to teenage delinquents and Emma would tell him about the town drunk and town thief who wound up in jail at least twice a week each. One story had Killian laughing until he was near tears, the story of how the town thief, Will, teamed up with the town drunk, Leroy, to break into the towns library after a few drinks one night only to be caught by the librarian, a petite young woman named Belle, who stripped them down to their underwear, tied them up, and left them out front of the library until the police showed up a little while later.

* * *

It was a Thursday night and Emma had returned home an hour earlier and was currently sitting on the couch curled up with Ava beside her, the television on showing her favorite movie, and Ellie in her arms drinking the last bit of her nighttime bottle.

The sound of her phone filled the air and Emma reached to answer it, seeing Killian's name and number flashing on the screen. Instantly her face lit up with a large smile.

8:00pm, right on time.

Taking a moment to fix her hair and to straighten her clothes, Emma answered the call.

As soon as the call connected, Killian's smiling face filled the screen.

"There are my girls! What are you two beauties up to this evening?"

Killian had started referring to Emma and Ellie as 'his girls' just a few days ago and when Emma didn't say anything about it, he continued to do so and would try to fit it into conversation as much as possible.

"Well, Ellie is currently finishing up her nighttime bottle while Ava and I watch some television. What about you? What are you up to tonight, Captain?"

During one of their marathon calls a few days after Killian returned to Boston, they were discussing their favorite fairytales from childhood and Killian confessed to dressing up like Captain Hook from the time he was 3 years old up until his early teens. His older brother, Liam, had started calling him by the nickname Captain when he was a small boy and as soon as Emma heard it she was more than happy to adopt the nickname for her new friend, much to his dismay.

"Well, my second to last day of summer school was a doozy. I had to break up two fights, someone tried to glue my pants to my desk chair, and I had a 16 year old girl crying on my shoulder for an hour before I was able to leave for the day."

"What was she crying to you about?"

"Turns out that she found out she was pregnant a few days ago and when she told her boyfriend he dumped her."

"That poor girl!" Emma's heart constricted as memories of a similar situation in her past begin to rush through her mind. "Hearing things like that makes me want to lock Ellie away and never let her date until she is at least 30 years old!" she laughed, hoping to disguise the sadness that seemed to linger with her from the long forgotten memories.

Killian's laugh echoes through the phone.

"Well, we'll just have to keep an eye on her throughout her teenage years. She can go to you for all of her questions and for motherly advice and I can be there to terrify her boyfriends and beat up anyone who breaks her heart. We'll be the dream team!"

Instantly, Emma's heart felt like it was stuck in her throat at Killian's words. The way he spoke of the future hinted that he saw a future for the two of them, or at least a future where she played a motherly figure in Ellie's life.

She felt her eyes fill with tears but did not let them fall.

To distract herself and to hide her emotions from Killian, Emma busied herself with Ellie who had just finished her bottle and was in need of being burped.

"Hold on a second, Killian."

She placed the phone down next to Ava, removed the bottle from Ellie's mouth, and moved Ellie to her shoulder.

Since she needed one hand to burp the baby, Emma scooted down into the couch so that the baby could rest on her chest without support. Using her left hand, Emma picked up her phone and began to burp Ellie with her right.

"Ok, sorry about that. Ellie finished her bottle and I needed to shuffle her around a bit so I could burp her."

"Are you alright, love? You seemed a bit melancholy a few moments ago."

Killian's face was a mask of concern. Throughout the past 17 days there had been times that he would say something and watch as her face flinched or contorted into one of sadness. He had never called her on it, too afraid that she would pull away from him, but he could sense that she has been through great pain in her life. He could also tell that his daughter meant a great deal to her and that fact alone makes it feel like he is falling in love with her each and every day.

Emma looked down at Ellie, avoiding making eye contact with Killian.

"I'm fine, just tired, it's been a long day."

He sat there silently for a moment, simply watching her.

"You're lying."

Looking back to the phone, Emma sighed. "How would you know?"

"Emma, you've become somewhat of an open book to me these past few weeks. I can tell when you are hiding something or holding something back and that's exactly what you are doing right now."

Letting her head fall forward until her face was pressed into Ellie's neck, Emma closed her eyes.

She really didn't want to get into anything with him right now, especially not over the phone.

"Killian, I… I just can't right now. I'm sorry but it just doesn't feel right, not over the phone at least."

"Do you think once I am there in person you might be able to tell me?"

She didn't even think before the word flew out of her mouth. "Yes."

Killian smiled and pulled the conversation into more comfortable territory.

They spend the next few hours talking about everything and nothing all at once. Emma fills him in on Ellie's checkup earlier in the day; the little girl had gained 2 pounds since living with Emma and was in perfect health. Emma told Killian how one of the nurses couldn't stop gushing over her and commented that she was one of the happiest babies she had ever seen at her age.

"It's because of you, Swan. You are such a good mother to her, how could she not be happy! I just can't wait until I can see that happiness first hand."

"You're leaving Boston Saturday, right? We can meet up when you get into town if you want. Have you found a place to stay yet?"

"No luck yet, I talked to Dave the other day and he said that there were no rentals anywhere in town and only one house for sale but that's one of Mr. Gold's properties and I doubt he would sell to me due to some of my teenage transgressions. More than likely I will have to rent a room at Granny's until something opens up around town."

"Why don't you stay here?"

Emma was more shocked at her words than Killian.

"What?"

"It makes sense." And it does; she has a guest room and with vacancies being slim around town there was no other option besides renting a room at Granny's. "Look, the DNA test should be back any time now and we both know what it is going to say. With available properties being slim-to-none, renting a room at Granny's will become costly. I have an extra room here; when I first got Ellie I was planning to use it for her but changed my mind since I have been keeping her in my room with me. This way you could spend more time with Ellie."

' _And me',_ she thought

"Emma, I don't want you to feel obligated to do this."

"I don't!" Emma was quick to stop his train of thought. "It really does make sense and you and Ellie deserve to spend more time together. Besides, it would be kind of nice to have another helping hand around here with Ellie. Your daughter can be quite the handful but I have a feeling it's a 'like father-like daughter' situation."

Killian couldn't help but laugh; she was more than likely 100% right!

Turning serious again, Killian contemplated the situation in front of him; a part of him was saying that the smart thing would be to stay at Granny's until a place opened up but another part of him, a very large part of him was saying to accept her offer. His arms longed to hold his daughter as well as the beautiful blonde who has been caring for her these past few weeks.

He couldn't get her out of his mind; he woke up thinking about her, on his way to work he was thinking about her, all day long he was thinking about her. His heart would race at the sight of her whenever they talked, he would get butterflies in his stomach every time his phone alerted him to a new text message, and he felt on the verge of tears every time he saw the motherly love she displayed towards his little girl. He knew from the day that he met her that he was in serious trouble and should keep his distance but the more he got to know her the more he realized he could never do that.

"Alright, Swan, I accept."

Emma's face split wide with a huge grin. "Wonderful! What time do you think you will make it here Saturday?

"Actually it will probably sometime around 7pm tomorrow. I don't think I can wait until Saturday to come down! I will finish packing up my car after I get out of school tomorrow and then the drive to Storybrooke, if that's alright? I can pick up some dinner on my way into town if you'd like?"

"That sounds perfect."

Their conversation carried on for another half an hour before Killian excused himself to finish packing.

Emma got herself and Ellie bathed and in bed before she began to panic.

Reaching for her phone, Emma quickly dialed Mary Margaret's cell phone. It took a few rings but finally Emma's best friend picked up the line.

"Hey Emma, what's up?"

"I THINK I MIGHT HAVE DONE SOMETHING STUPID AND I'M FREAKING OUT!"

Emma paced around her room with a sleeping Ellie in her arms. She was breathing fast and felt like she was 5 minutes away from passing out. Looking down at the baby, she quickly places her in her bassinet and continues her pacing.

"Ok, Emma. Calm down and tell me what you did."

Taking a deep breath, Emma climbs into bed and lays out the whole situation to Mary Margaret, who is quick to comfort her.

"Emma, that wasn't stupid, that was incredibly sweet. I just have one question."

"Yes?"

Mary Margaret was quiet for a minute before asking, "Do you have feelings for him?"

Emma knew she couldn't lie to her friend.

"Yes, I do. I'm so stupid! I told myself not to get attached to someone who will only hurt me in the end and now I've done it with 2 people!"

"2 people?" asked Mary Margaret.

Emma sighed and snuggled down into her bed.

"Killian  _and_ Ellie; I don't know what I am going to do once Killian is cleared to take Ellie away from me. For all I know, he will take her and move back home to be around his brother and his family and I will never see either of them again."

"Oh Emma, don't think that way, I'm sure nothing like that will happen. You have to think positively and good things will happen and remember that it is ok to lower those walls."

Emma was confused, "What walls?"

"The walls you keep up around your heart. Sure, they help protect you from getting hurt but they can also keep love out and you deserve to be loved again, Emma."

Hearing those words from her best friend brought Emma to tears. It has been so long since she allowed herself the idea of being in love again but ever since Ellie and her father have come into her life it was all she could think about. So much time had passed since Neal and Henry and she was scared to let herself open up just to get burned again but she knew she had to take a chance or she would never find happiness.

After hanging up with Mary Margaret, Emma picked up a sleepy Ellie, needing to be close to her, and settled in bed.

Navigating through her Netflix account, Emma settled on something she knew would lift her spirits and help clear her mind.

"Ok Ellie, let me introduce you to something called Parks and Recreation."

* * *

**Authors Note: Ok what did you think? I hope it was worth the wait! Please review and let me know what you thought and thoughts for what you would like to see! Until next time...**


	10. Chapter 10

Friday evening finds Emma packing up to leave the station to head home for the weekend. As she stands up from her desk to leave she hears David's voice calling her name. Turning towards his office, Emma see's David gesturing for her to join him in the room.

"Hey, what's up? I was just about to head home, I already sent Granny a text letting her know I was on my way to pick up the baby."

David stands from his seat and moves to lean against the front of his desk.

"I just wanted to check in with you before you left."

"About what?" she asks, confused.

"About Killian." His voice is flat and his face blank.

Emma feels her eyebrows shoot up to the top of her forehead as she crosses her arms in front of her chest. "What about him?" she asks suspiciously.

Sighing, David runs his hand over his face.

"Emma, you know I love you like a little sister, hell, sometimes I feel even a paternal love for you, so please don't get angry at me for being worried. Killian's a good guy and once upon a time he was like a brother to me but it's been a long time since we've seen each other and god knows what he is like now. I just think that maybe you guys are taking things a little fast, I mean, he's moving into your apartment…"

"We're just friends, David! He is moving back to Storybrooke to be with his daughter and you know how slim the real estate options are around here, especially if you take out all of the properties that Mr. Gold has his hands in since we know Killian doesn't stand a chance with any of those. Look, I am just trying to do the right thing for Ellie, he is her father, I don't need the DNA test results to tell me that, and she deserves a family, god knows I know what it's like to not have one. I don't want her to grow up like I did, feeling worthless and unlovable."

David quickly walks over to Emma and wraps her in his arms, one hand going to the back of her head while the other stays firmly on her back. Blinking back tears, Emma realizes just how worked up she has made herself and quickly returns the hug. Talking about her family, or lack thereof has always been a sore subject for her and she hates that she lets herself get so upset about it after all these years.

Without letting her go, David whispers to her softly, "I'm sorry, Emma, you're right. What you're doing is wonderful and kind and I am sure that everything will be ok. I am so sorry that I upset you."

Pulling out of the hug, Emma gives David what she hopes is a reassuring smile. "I know you worry about me and I love you for it but I need you to trust me what I say that I know what I am getting myself into."

"I trust you, Emma, really I do, and I just don't want to see you get hurt again. This whole situation is unusual and risky and it has the potential to really hurt you and it makes me nervous. But I trust you, I will always trust you."

"Thank you. Now, if you don't mind, I have a baby to pick up and a dog in desperate need of a walk."

Nodding, David moves to sit back behind his desk. "Go, have a good weekend and tell Killian that I will be expecting him along with you and Ellie for dinner one night soon. Mary Margaret is very excited to see him again."

Laughing, Emma moves to leave the office. "Will do, boss!"

Walking quickly out of the station, Emma emerges and climbs into her car to make the drive to her apartment. Since she lives not far from Granny's diner, she decides to drop her car at her apartment and pick up Ava for her walk before heading over to pick up Ellie at the diner.

The drive is short and Ava is waiting for her when she walks through the front door. She quickly attached the leash to Ava's collar and the two make their way back outside and down the street towards Granny's.

The bell above the door signals their arrival into the diner. Upon entering, Emma spots Granny walking from table to table with a pot of coffee in one hand and Ellie in the other. With Ava at her feet, Emma walks over to the older woman until she is standing just behind her with a clear view over her shoulder to a wide-awake Ellie. It only takes seconds for the baby to make eye contact with Emma and as soon as she does her face breaks out into a grin and she begins to wave her arms, kick her feet, and make happy baby sounds.

Oblivious to Emma's presence, Granny is surprised by Ellie's excitement.

"What are you so excited about little one? Hmm?" The baby continues to kick her feet happily.

Looking over her should, Granny finally notices Emma standing behind her.

"Oh, hello there! No wonder she got so happy so fast, her momma is here! Isn't that right beautiful?" Looking down at the happy baby in her arm, Granny misses the look that crosses over Emma's face.

Her emotions automatically flare up in a state of confliction; for a second she felt a mixture of joy and pride sweep through her chest before crashing down into a pit of despair and agony. This was  _not_ her daughter, she had a child and she lost him and one day soon she will lose Ellie as well.

Pushing her emotions aside, Emma ducks her head and makes her way to the back room where Ellie's baby bag and sling were located. She quickly straps the sling to her chest before picking up the baby bag and walking back into the diner. Walking back towards Granny, Emma avoids making eye contact with the older woman and feels a wave of relief when the woman quickly hands over the baby to tend to a large group entering the diner.

Emma safely secures Ellie into the sling and moves towards the exit. As she leaves, she makes sure to yell over her shoulder, "Thanks again, Granny! See you later!" and with that, she is gone.

Emma's mood is somber after leaving the diner, she walks slowly with Ava at her side and Ellie cuddled to her chests, fists filled with strands of her long golden hair, trying to find a way to shove both into her small mouth at the same time.

As she walked she couldn't help but think about what Granny had said. She had called Emma "momma". She hasn't been called that in so long and it hurts her to think back to the small voice that use to call her that on a constant loop in his little baby voice.

Feeling tears on her cheeks, Emma looks around to find that she has walked her to self to her favorite part of town, the docks, and is approaching her favorite spot, the bench that overlooks the water. Sitting down, Emma wipes at the tears, removing them from her face and looks back down to the baby strapped to her chest.

Ellie was laying her head against Emma's chest, still not having mastered the skill of holding her head up by herself and was sucking on a couple of her fingers.

Gently running her finger down Ellie's face, Emma laughs softly to herself when the baby quickly removes her own fingers from her mouth to reach out for Emma's finger. Ellie grabs her finger with her small hand and pulls it into her mouth.

Memories hit her like a wave; crashing into her violently, ready to take her far, far away.

Strong, deep sobs rip from her mouth for what feels like hours. She slams her unoccupied hand over her mouth to muffle her cries, afraid to disturb the happy baby on her chest.

When Emma finally calms down, Ellie is fast asleep on her chest and the sun has begun to dip below the horizon, casting the sky in a beautiful mixture of orange and pinks.

She gently wipes the wetness from her face with her hands before pulling a tissue out of her pocket and blowing her nose. She sits there for another couple minutes before she stands up to return to her apartment knowing that Killian would be there any minute.

Ten minutes later she approaches the front of her apartment to find Killian waiting for her with two large suitcases at his feet and two bags of takeout sitting on the roof of his car.

As she gets closer she sees him smile at her, his eyes light up at the sight of her and the baby walking towards him. Feeling her heart leap in her chest, Emma returns his soft smile.

"Hey Killian, sorry to keep you waiting. I thought it would be a good idea to take Ava for a long walk before it got dark. Have you been here long?"

Killian gives her an odd look as he registers her red and puffy eyes but seems to decide to not call her out on it.

"Not long at all, just around five minutes."

"Oh ok, that's a relief. Well, lets head on inside and get you settled and enjoy whatever it is that smells amazing in those takeout bags, hmm?"

Killian nods and grabs his suitcases while Emma takes hold of the takeout bags.

Once upstairs, Emma drops the food onto the kitchen counter and unclasps Ava's leash from her collar, quickly tossing her a dog treat.

"Let me show you to your room."

With Ellie still sleeping in her sling, Emma walks down the hall towards the bedrooms.

"The last door to the left is my room, the first door is your bathroom, and the room on the right is your room. I have a bathroom attached to my room so we won't have to worry about sharing and your room has a nice view overlooking the town."

Opening the door, the two enter the room. A queen size bed with a simple comforter set sits in the middle of the room with two beside tables and two small lamps. There is a nice size dresser on one side of the room and a large painting of the ocean hangs above the bed but nothing else is on the walls.

Killian places his bags onto the bed and looks around, his smile still plastered on his face.

"This is perfect, thank you so much for allowing me to stay here while I look for a place."

"It's really no problem, I was just using the room as storage. Speaking of which, there are still a few boxes in the closet that I meant to clear out but ran out of time but I promise to get them out of there sometime this weekend."

Killian waved her off. "Don't worry about it. Believe me, I won't need too much space. I put most of my stuff in storage and only have my clothes and a few small boxes in the car."

"Ok, well, I still promise to get them out of your way soon."

Emma and Killian stood in the middle of the room just smiling at each other for a few minutes until Ellie releases a loud cry, breaking them out of their trance-like state.

"Looks like someone is awake and ready for a bottle. Why don't I leave you to settle in while I feed her and then once we are both done we can break open the bags of food you brought?"

"Sounds perfect."

Killian spends the next fifteen minutes unpacking his clothes into the dresser in his room and taking his toiletries into the bathroom before heading to his car to get the rest of his things. During this time Emma settles down on the couch feeding Ellie her bottle and exchanging texts with Mary Margaret and Ruby.

A few minutes after Killian returns to the apartment with an armload of boxes she hears a crash come from his room.

Standing quickly, she makes her way to his room.

"Everything ok in here?"

When she enters the room she finds Killian picking up objects from the floor from a spilt box.

"I'm sorry Emma, it seems one of the boxes you had stored on the top shelf in the closet seems to want to make a run for it and toppled off the shelf when I attempted to give it a friend."

Laughing, Emma steps forward to help him when she stops dead in her tracks.

It was  _that_  box.

She had forgotten all about it, it's been hidden away since the day she moved into the apartment all those years ago, never to be touched since.

Killian doesn't seem to notice her stone-like appearance; he is completely focused on returning the items to the box, when something catches his eye.

It was a picture frame with a picture of a younger Emma in a hospital bed clutching a small bundle wrapped in a blue blanket.

Looking up from the photo, he finally notices Emma standing there, unmoving, face white, eyes on the photo in his hand.

He knew he shouldn't pry into her personal life but he couldn't seem to stop himself.

"Emma, is this your son?"

She could do nothing but nod, eyes still glued on the picture.

Looking back down to the picture in his hand and then back at the beautiful woman in front of him, he asks softly. "Emma, where is he?"

It's then that she finally takes her eyes away from the picture and looks at Killian. A sense of dread fills his body as he looks at the expression on her face as she whispers quietly.

"He's dead."

* * *

**Author's Note: Ok, I know I am leaving you on a bit of a cliffhanger but I had to! For those of you who are going to be upset about Henry, I am so sorry, it was a hard decision to make, but for the drama of the story it just had to happen. Please leave me a review and tell me what you think but please try to be kind! I promise to get the ball rolling from here on out and as alway if you have any requests or ideas please send them my way!**

**Thanks!**


	11. Chapter 11

_"He's dead."_

That was the last thing he thought he would hear come out of her mouth.

Killian watches as Emma ducks her head down, tears falling down her cheeks, some even falling down onto Ellie's tiny head. He can feel the pain rolling off of her in waves as the sound of her crying becomes louder. Her shoulders begin to shake with the strength of her cries and Killian curses internally. He told himself in the days leading up to his move back to Storybrooke that he would keep his distance from Emma, to protect his heart from the possibility of getting hurt again, and he knew ever since meeting her that Emma would be the woman to test his strength but the urge to wrap her in his arms at the moment was too strong.

Mindful of the baby, Killian moves from where he was sitting and pulls Emma into his embrace. Once his arms are around her, Killian feels her legs give out from under her as she collapses completely into him.

He gently lowers the three of them to the floor. Ellie, undisturbed from the outburst, was still drinking away at her bottle as Killian allows Emma to cry in his arms.

It takes a few minutes until Emma is able to calm herself; her deep sobs turning into small hiccups. She rests her head on his chest and Killian runs one of his hands up and down her back, soothingly.

They don't speak for many long minutes, they just sit there.

"He was nineteen months old when it happened…"

"You don't have to tell me…"

Emma reaches up and places her fingers gently over his mouth. "I really do but I should probably start at the beginning and I don't really want to do this sitting on the floor. Why don't we go into the living room and sit on the couch."

Nodding, Killian quickly stands up and reaches out to help Emma stand, since she still cradles Ellie in her arms.

They walk silently to the living room and sit down side by side on the small couch.

Emma avoids eye contact with Killian, choosing to look down at Ellie, whose eyes were slowly starting to closing with sleep as she finishes drinking her bottle.

They stay that way, silent, for several minutes until Emma begins to speak.

"This is a long and painful story, I've only ever told David and Mary Margaret the whole story, so please, just let me get through it before asking any questions. Ok?"

"Ok."

Emma closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. When she opens them she sees Killian giving her a gentle smiling before reaching out and taking her hand, giving it a firm squeeze.

"When I was just a couple days old I was founded abandoned on the side of a road and was taken to an orphanage where I was entered into the foster system. I was tossed in and out of homes throughout my childhood, some better than others, but when I was 16 years old I ran away and began a life of crime to support myself. Nothing serious, petty thefts, stealing food and breaking into empty homes to sleep; doing only what I needed to survive. A little over a year later I stole a car only to find out that someone else had already stolen it and that the new 'owner' was sleeping in the backseat. His name was Neal, he was a lot older than me, by ten years, and I fell in love with him, hard and fast. We were together for just over a year when Neal got into some trouble; the cops were looking for him for stealing some watches and I offered to help him sell the watches in order for us to get some money to flee to Canada. Little did I know that Neal had set me up to take the fall for his crime; instead of meeting up with me after making the sale he sent a cop who arrested me and sent me to prison."

Emma feels Killian's hand tighten in hers and she glances up to see the expression on his face; eyes wide, nostrils flared, face red. He was furious; she can feel the anger coming off of him, not at her of course, but for her. Although he is clearly upset, she knows she needs to continue with her story.

"I was in jail for three weeks before I found out I was pregnant. I was so scared; I wasn't even 18 years old, I was in prison for a crime I didn't commit, and I was betrayed by the only person I thought ever loved me. I had no money, no family, and no home but as soon as I had my first physical exam and saw my baby on the ultrasound for the first time, I knew that I wanted to keep him. Then four months later, when I was around six months pregnant, Neal got caught stealing again and one thing led to another and the court finally approved my appeal and released me, charging Neal with the crime. He got sentenced to 18 months in jail and I was able to walk free. I got a job as a waitress and the owner, a kind older lady who resembles Granny, was kind enough to let me stay with her so I could save up money for my own apartment. Three months later my baby boy was born, perfectly healthy and beautiful. I named him Henry and for the first year and a half of his life, everything was perfect. I got us our own place and started working at the local police station as a secretary. Ever since my brush with the law I became fascinated and wanted to be a part of that world, but on the right side."

Tears begin to build in her eyes once more and Killian places his arms around her, pulling her close to him.

"Everything was great until one day there was a knock on the door and I opened it to find that Neal stood on the other side. I had thought about what I would say to him for close to two years, how I would scream and yell at him for treating me the way he did, but I was young and naïve and one look at his face when he saw Henry changed everything. Neal's love for our child forced me to open up my heart and my home to him and for a while things were ok. Our relationship was never the same; we fought more and were less affectionate but I tried to make it work, for Henry. Neal said I was harboring resentment towards him for what he did in the past and a part of that was true but the real truth was that Neal had changed, we both did; I grew up but he was just,  _different_. Neal acted strange all the time; he was always irritable, his emotions were bi-polar, and he would disappear for days at a time but I always let him come home. It wasn't until it was too late that I realized that he had become a drug addict while in prison, it wasn't until I returned home one night after work to find Neal passed out on the couch and Henry laying motionless on the ground that I figured everything out."

She couldn't hold the tears in any more; she let them go.

"I called 911 but it was already too late! Henry was gone! My poor baby was laying on the ground dead, having overdosed on heroin that Neal had left on the coffee table!"

She let the tears come, unable to stop them.

"Neal was passed out on the couch, close to death himself, but I didn't care. I sat there on the ground, clutching my baby boy to my chest, trying to warm his cold little body, screaming, until the paramedics got there and took him out of my arms. Neal was taken to the hospital where he recovered before being sent back to prison. He didn't fight the charges they placed on him; child abuse, neglect, endangerment, possession, and involuntary manslaughter. He was sentenced to life in prison without the opportunity for parole and I haven't seen him since. I couldn't stay in that apartment or town, too many memories, so I got in my car and just started driving until I couldn't drive any more and I somehow ended up in Storybrooke. I met Mary Margaret and David and they took me in, gave me a place to stay, set me up with a job, and became the family that I never had."

Her voice has grown soft, her body and mind exhausted from emotion. It is then that she realizes that one of Killian's hands is running soothingly from her head to her back, rubbing warm circles into her skin, and his other hand is laced with hers. Looking up to his face, she sees tears running down his cheeks and pain in his eyes. Without thinking, she removes her hand from his and raises it to his face, wiping away the tears before resting her palm on his cheek.

Looking into his eyes, Emma feels emotions she hasn't felt in years, possibly ever, but she is quick to pull herself away from it. She removes her hand and places it back in her lap, ready to finish her story.

"I think about him everyday, more often now that I have Ellie here with me, she brings back happy memories from when Henry was her age, but I haven't allowed myself to look at any pictures of him or to touch anything that was his. That's why the box was in the closet and to be honest, I had forgotten that it was there; out of sight, out of mind, you know? So, that kind of explains why I turned into a huge mess back there; it was the first time in years that I had seen his face."

Killian is silent for far longer then Emma thought he would be. Minutes roll by before Killian's voice booms loudly in the apartment, but not loud enough to startle the baby that sits between them.

"You deserved better, Henry deserved better, and if that bloody git wasn't in prison right now I would kill him with my bare hands."

His words spark something in Emma that she hasn't felt in a long time, if ever, and for some reason she begins to…laugh. Her body quakes with the convulsions of her laugher; the sounds filling the apartment becoming infections and causing Killian to join in with her.

The two laugh loudly for several minutes, enjoyed the release of emotions. The only person who didn't seem to appreciate or join in on the laughter was Ellie, who releases the now empty bottle and begins to cry.

Emma quickly quiets her laughter to tend to the baby.

"Oh, I'm so sorry sweetie, did we wake you up? It's ok." She lifts the small child to rest on her shoulder and begins to alternate between patting and rubbing her back. Ellie lifts her head for a few seconds before drooping it back down on Emma's shoulder.

Smiling, Killian reaches over and places a hand on the baby's back.

"It's ok little lass," he whispered, "you just go back to sleep. We've got you."

Emma smiles at Killian over Ellie's head and the butterfly feeling in her stomach, the one she gets every time she would talk with Killian, returns as he gives her a mega-watt smile.

"Do you want to hold her, Killian?"

Killian's eyes light up and he quickly nods his head.

Emma smiles to herself and gently removes the half-sleeping baby from her chest to settle in Killian's arms. Once the transfer is complete, Emma stands from the couch and takes a few steps back.

"If it's alright with you, I need to freshen up before we start on dinner…"

"Go on, it's ok, we're alright here. I will keep an eye on the little lass and grab some plates for the food."

Emma excuses herself and heads for her bedroom. Once inside she goes straight for the bathroom where she splashes some water onto her tear-streaked face. She quickly removes her make-up, throws her hair into a long braid down the back of her head, and changes into her favorite pair of pajamas before heading back into the living room. There she finds Killian walking around her kitchen, baby on his shoulder, putting dinner onto plates, with music playing softly from the TV.

Killian, unaware of Emma's return, sways and hums to the music as he navigates around the kitchen, grabbing silverware for the food and filling drink glasses with ice water.

Emma smiles at the domestic scene, chest tightening with joy and fear. She is already feels so close to Killian and is beyond in love with the little girl in his arms that it is frightening and exhilarating.

Moving further into the room, Killian finally notices her presence and throws her a smile.

"Dinner is served, love! Fettuccini Alfredo pasta with garlic bread and a

Garden salad."

"Thank you, Killian, it looks and smells amazing. Look, before we eat, I want to apologize for unloading on you tonight."

"You have nothing to apologize for, love. As painful as it was, I liked learning about your beginnings. I like everything about you, you are a strong woman, proven just how strong tonight, and I could not be happier knowing that my daughter has such a positive woman in her life."

Smiling, Emma tries to hold back the emotions she knows will bring her to tears for what feels like the millionth time today and chooses to distract herself.

She walks over to the kitchen table and removes an envelope from her purse before taking it over to Killian.

She extends the envelope towards him and smiles, "This came today while I was at work. I think it's about time we found out the truth."

Killian reaches his hand out to grab the envelope, embarrassed at how much his hand is shaking. From the first moment he saw Ellie he knew she was his daughter but now with the truth in his hands, he can't help but feel a wave of doubt.

He places the envelope on the counter and gently removes the child from his chest. Without having to ask, Emma steps forward and takes the child from him, snuggling her in her arms once more.

Picking the envelope back up, Killian quickly opens it, not allowing his emotions to delay him. Reaching in, he pulls out the paper and begins to read. It doesn't take him long to he find what he is looking for and he smiles.

Dropping the letter, he looks over to Emma.

"She's mine." He whispers.

A huge smile spreads across Emma's face and she steps forward to give him a one-arm hug.

"Congratulations, Daddy!"

* * *

**Authors Note: For those of you who might be worried, no this is NOT the end of the story. Believe me, we are just beginning! So sorry to those who were upset with me for killing off Henry, I hated doing it but the idea came to me when I first began the story and it felt like the right thing to do to help Emma's relationship with Ellie grow. Again, if you have any requests or ideas, please leave it in a review or feel free to PM me! Until next time... :)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been 6 months since Killian moved in with Emma and Storybooke is busy celebrating Christmas!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SOOOOO sorry that it has taken me so long to post an update! I promise to try to get chapters out quicker!

The Christmas season is in full swing in Storybrooke and everyone in town is in a frenzy; rushing around trying to get their last minute shopping and wrapping completed before the stroke of midnight.

It’s Christmas Eve and Emma and Killian are busy getting themselves and little Ellie ready for David and Mary Margaret’s annual Christmas Eve party.

Ever since the day that Killian moved into Emma’s apartment, close to 6 months ago, the two have gotten extremely close but never crossed the line into an intimate relationship, even though that was something the both desperately wanted.

They have worked out a system for their day-to-day lives, coordinating work and child care, to make sure that Ellie was getting enough alone time with the both of them along with plenty of time with the three of them together, as a family.

A few weeks after Killian moved in, he and Emma had a talk about Ellie and her relationship with Emma and about what to do moving forward. Emma expressed her interest in remaining involved in Ellie’s life after Killian found a place of his own and was ready to move out with his daughter but to her surprise, Killian asked Emma if she would be all right with him discontinuing his search for his own place. He wanted to stay exactly where he was with Emma and asked her if she would consider adopting Ellie and become a real mother to her, turning them into a proper family.

Emma ended up crying for about half an hour after that, wrapped in Killian’s arms. Emma felt like she was being given a second chance at not only motherhood but also at happiness. She didn’t realize just how much she was holding herself back from Ellie and even Killian until she let herself go and care for them both freely, without the fear of abandonment. The next day, Killian accompanied her to the Storybrooke courthouse to file the official paperwork, which would not be official until sometime after the New Year. From that day on the two were happily living under one roof raising Ellie, together.

As Emma gets ready for the party, she has music playing softly from a small stereo and hums along with the Christmas songs that fill her room. She watches as Ellie babbles along with the music, contentedly in her crib, as she walks back and forth to the bathroom to fix her hair and makeup.

At close to 8 months old, Ellie is growing like a weed and talking up a storm. Of course, you couldn’t understand what she was saying since everything that came out of her mouth was complete gibberish, but Emma and Killian both agreed that it was a sign that she is going to start talking at any moment and also that she is going to be a genius. Killian bet Emma $10 that Ellie’s first word is going to be ‘daddy’ or ‘dada’ and Emma took the bet, saying that Ellie’s first word is going to be ‘Ava’ instead, due to the baby’s love of Emma’s dog. Secretly, Killian hopes that Ellie’s first word will be ‘mommy’ or ‘mama’ just so he can see the look on Emma’s face.

After putting the finishing touches of her makeup on, Emma straightens her dress and exits the small bathroom and goes to pick Ellie up.

Smiling down at the baby in her arms, she adjusts the bow clipped onto the small amount of hair on top of the baby’s head. Ellie is wearing a red dress embroidered with sequence, making the dress sparkle, along with white stockings, and tiny black dress shoes. Her outfit was nearly identical to Emma’s except that Emma opted to go without stockings and her shoes had a nice heal to them. Emma’s hair fell in beautiful curls, pulled back from her face to enhance her eyes.

A knock sounds from her bedroom door. Smiling, Emma makes her way over and opens it, revealing a well-dressed Killian.

“Well don’t you look nice? Like a prince.” She says. Killian stands there in a well-pressed charcoal suit, black overcoat with matching gloves, and his trademark smirk.

“I prefer dashing rapscallion, love. But you, my dear, are positively breathtaking!”

His words cause an instant blush on her cheeks and a quiet, “thank you” from her lips.

Looking down at his daughter, Killian’s eyes fill with glee.

“And look at you my little lass, as beautiful as your mama in your matching dresses! I fear the day that you grow up and start dating, I just know there will be boys lining the streets to date you.”

Laughing, Emma starts walking out of her bedroom towards the front door so they can leave for the party. She quickly straps Ellie into her car seat before Killian helps her into her coat and attaches the leash onto Ava’s collar (Mary Margaret was also a huge fan of Emma’s dog and extended her invitation to the party to include her).

Once the little family is packed into the car, they begin the short trip to the party.

*****************

Meanwhile at the Nolan home, Mary Margaret is frantically rushing around the living room making sure everything is ready for the party that is set to begin at any minute.

David emerges from the bedroom ready to help his wife. “Do you need help with anything else? People should start arriving any minute.”

“If you want to start the music, we should be all set.”

David does as his wife asks, walking over to the stereo and plugging in her iPod, selecting a playlist she created specifically for this very party.

“Mary Margaret, are you sure about this whole Emma and Killian thing?”

“Of course I’m sure! You’ve said so yourself, they would be perfect together!” Mary Margaret makes her way over to her husband and begins to fuss with his tie, which he has already loosened.

“They would be perfect together, I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life, well maybe not as sure as I was that we would be perfect together, but meddling in their relationship can backfire!”

“David, you and I both know that they both need a little push in the right direction. I mean, come on, you can feel the longing desire between the two of them whenever we are even close to them! They want to be together, I can feel it!”

David reaches out and places both of his hands on his wife’s shoulders. Looking down onto her adorably innocent face, he can’t help but smile. “Just promise me that you won’t go overboard, ok? You can give them a little push, just not a huge shove. They need to do most of the work themselves.”

Mary Margaret nods and then stands up onto her toes to press her lips against his in a sweet kiss. “I promise.” She whispers to him with a smile.

Just then the doorbell rings, signally the arrival of their first guests of the night.

*****************

Emma parked the bug in front of the Nolan’s house 15 minutes after they left the apartment, having made a stop at the market to pick up a bottle of wine to bring to the party.

The two quickly exit the car, Emma grabbing Ellie from her car seat and Killian grabbing the wine and diaper bag. It was beginning to snow, creating a magical Christmas feeling around them as they enter the house. Music was playing in the living room as people mingle around, eating, drinking, and making conversation. Killian assists Emma and Ellie out of their coats and stows them along with his own and the diaper bag into the hall closet. They walk together to the kitchen to find Mary Margaret to give her the wine and grab a drink for themselves.

“Oh my goodness, she looks so beautiful in her little dress!” Mary Margaret gushed over Ellie who happily babbles away. Smiling, Emma hands the baby over to the other woman, smiling at the image in front of her.

Emma was very aware of how much Mary Margaret desires a child with David but nature wasn’t helping that matter along but she knew that one day it would.

The party is a blast, as per usual; music playing as people dance and make conversation, food is eaten and the drinks are being drank, and David, Killian, and Graham start a dart competition in the den to put to rest the bet they have as to who is the best.

David took this time away from the party to put his side of ‘the plan’ into motion.

“So Killian, what’s going on with you and Emma?”

“What do you mean, mate? You know nothing is going on with us?” Killian exclaims. He is suddenly nervous with this line of conversation; he feared that he isn’t as good at hiding his feelings for the blonde beauty as he thought. He also doesn’t want to anger or upset David, who has taken on a more paternal relationship with Emma alongside Mary Margaret’s maternal relationship.

David puts down the bottle of beer he has been drinking from and looks at Killian. “Killian, you and I both know that you have feelings for Emma. Why haven’t you done anything about it?”

“Yeah, Killian, Emma is the perfect woman and you are practically already living the perfect life with her and Ellie, you lucky bastard! You need to do the smart thing and lock things down with her.” Graham’s words are a bit slurred due to the amount of alcohol he has already consumed but held no less truth.

Killian looks between his two friends before allowing his shoulders to hunch forward. “What if she doesn’t feel the same? I can’t risk our friendship over something that may be completely one-sided. I can’t risk everything that we have going for us, I have to think about Ellie.” He says apprehensively.

David moves closer to Killian, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Killian, I have known Emma for a while now. I’ve seen her at her absolute worst and at her absolute best, but nothing compares to how I have seen her these past few months since you’ve been in her life. This is the happiest I’ve ever seen her and it’s not just because of Ellie. It’s because of you too.”

Graham stands behind David nodding, “It’s true, mate. I’ve worked with Emma for a few years and I’ve never seen her this way. She comes into work every day happy and that happiness only grows bigger and brighter after she sees you during her lunch break. It’s kind of sickening to watch when you are single and lonely. So seriously, do something about all of this and do it soon. Don’t wait until some other bloke comes into town and tries to sweep her off her feet. You both deserve to be together, as much as I hate to admit it.”

Killian nods back at Graham but remains silent. Thankfully, David turns back to the dartboard to continue their game, allowing Killian some time to think about what his friends have just said. His heart aches to take their advice but his head still struggles with the uncertainty of the decision.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Mary Margaret and Emma are having a similar conversation.

“How long are you going to let this go on for?” Mary Margaret asks as she removes a tray of cookies from the oven.

Emma sits in a chair at the kitchen table feeding Ellie a bottle.

She looks over at her friend with a confused expression on her face, “What do you mean? Ellie is nowhere close to being old enough to be taken off of the bottle!”

Mary Margaret laughs, “I didn’t mean about the bottle Emma, I meant about Killian.”

“What about Killian?” she asks cautiously.

Mary Margaret begins to remove the still hot cookies from the tray and starts to put them on the cooling rack so she can begin the next batch.

“I mean, when are you finally going to tell Killian how you feel about him?”

“What?! I do not have feelings for him?” Emma’s eyes go wide with shock.

“Feelings for who? Killian? Oh Emma, you totally do and you really should do something about it.” Elsa says as she comes strolling into the kitchen, running fashionably late to the party, a normal thing for the light blonde beauty. Elsa quickly drops a bottle of wine onto the counter while sneaking a hot cooking from the rack before sitting in the chair beside Emma.

“Elsa! What are you talking about? I do not have feeling for Killian!”

Elsa reaches out and gently runs her fingers through the short, curly hair on Ellie’s head before speaking. “Emma, I love you, but you are so full of shit that I am going to buy you diapers. Then you and Ellie can match even more!” Elsa can’t help but laugh at her own joke and neither can Mary Margaret who starts snickering as she puts the next batch of cookies in the oven.

“As vulgar as Elsa can be, she is right. Emma, you do have feelings for Killian, it is as clear as glass, so there is no reason to try to hide it from us. We know you too well, my dear.”

Emma sighs as she looks down at the baby in her arms who, thankfully, was beginning to drop off to sleep as she finishes her bottle. “Ok, I give; I do have feelings for Killian. So what? It’s not like anything can happen between us.”

“Why the hell not?” Elsa exclaims.

“Because he doesn’t feel the same way about me, plain and simple, and I’m not going to risk what we have now over my silly feelings. Besides, I am perfectly happy with the way that things are now; he’s been more generous than he needs to be with me in regards to Ellie. He could have easily taken her away from me, moved back to Boston or even all the way back to Ireland to be with his brother, but he chose to stay and to allow me to adopt his daughter and share custody of her.”

“And why do you think he did all of that, Emma?” Mary Margaret asks as she finally steps away from the oven. She quickly grabs two empty wine glasses and the bottle Elsa brought and moves over to the table to join her friends; filling a glass for herself and Elsa while also refilling Emma’s now empty glass from earlier in the night.

Emma squirms in her seat a bit.

“I don’t know. Maybe he just felt overwhelmed with the suddenness of fatherhood?”

“Emma, if you really thought hard about everything he has done for you these past few months, you will know that is not true. He cares about you! You guys would be a hundred times happier if you would just give into your feelings, I just know it.” Mary Margaret nearly pleads to her friend.

She reaches out and grasps Emma’s free hand, “Emma, you are like a daughter to me, regardless of how close in age we actually are, and all I want is for you to be happy and I know, with everything in me, that Killian is the final piece of your happiness. Trust me. Trust him.”

Emma lapses in silence as her friends begin to make small talk while waiting for the last batch of cookies of finish. While they talk, Emma thinks about Killian and about the possibility of the two of them as a couple. The thought makes her feel extremely excited but nervous; what if her friends are wrong? What if she makes a fool of herself and Killian decides to leave and take Ellie with him? What if...?

*****************

A few hours later the party is coming to a close. Emma is helping Mary Margaret clean up in the living room while Killian assists David in the kitchen with the dishes. Once everything is back in its proper place, David and Mary Margaret begin to urge the little family to head home before the worst of the storm hits.

Throughout the party the snow fell in small amounts but it was now coming down heavier and thicker.

Emma and Killian quickly gather their things and get Ellie ready to leave the house.

As they say their goodbyes, hugs and kisses being passed around, Mary Margaret pulls back and squeals.

“What was that for?” asks Emma.

“Look!” she exclaims. The two look at each other before lifting their eyes to where Mary Margaret is pointing, and there, on the ceiling, is the traditional holiday mistletoe.

Their eyes go wide as they look at each other, their breathing beginning to quicken slightly. They turn back to their friends to find matching grins across both of their faces.

“Well, come on you two, its tradition!”

Surprisingly, this comes from David, as he puts an arm around Mary Margaret’s waist.

Emma looks back over at Killian only to find him staring at her with a sweet smile on his face. And it is there, with a sleeping Ellie in her arms, that Emma Swan takes one of the biggest leaps of faith in her life. She leans forward, lifting her free to the base of his neck to pull him closer, and places her lips on his.

They simply rest their lips against one another in a sweet chaste kiss for a few seconds before Killian steps forward, ever so slightly, and pulls her closer, one hand on her hip and the other on her chin.

His lips move slowly on hers, teasingly, and she feels the slight pressure of his tongue on her lips before it disappears altogether as he steps away from her.

His eyes drink her in; cheeks flushed, lips wet, and a small smile lighting her face.

“Merry Christmas, Emma.” He whispers to her.

“Merry Christmas, Killian.”

They pull away from each other slowly and turn back to Mary Margaret and David only to find them both standing there with their phones out and pointed towards them.

“Did you take pictures of us?” Emma asks.

Mary Margaret just nods and David whispers, “Video.”

The pair quickly makes their way out the door with the found of their friend’s laughter behind them. The snow is coming down thick but thankfully the bug is able to handle it for the short ride back to the loft. 

The drive takes a little longer than usual but soon they are walking through the front door of their home and the pair go straight to Emma’s room to put Ellie down for the night in her crib. They quickly change the baby out of her party clothes and into a fresh diaper and sleeper. Once Ellie is sleeping away in her crib, Emma and Killian move into the hallway to say goodnight. 

“Thank you so much for coming with me tonight Killian, I think this was the most fun I’ve had at a holiday party in a very long time.”

“I had a really great time tonight too. I love being able to spend time with you and Ellie along with our friends. You two make everything better. You make me better.”

The two stand there silent for several minutes, staring into each other’s eyes until it was just too much and they launched themselves into each other’s arms; mouths fused together and hands ripping at clothes.

After months of long nights spent talking and getting to know one another, they are finally giving into the feelings they had grown towards one another. What they didn’t expect was that in that exact moment Milah Gold was making her way back into town with one thing on her mind; getting Killian and her baby back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think? This chapter was super fluff and there will be more to come but also some angst with the return of Milah!! As always, if you have any ideas or thoughts, please send them my way!!


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Christmas Morning!

Emma wakes up early the next morning to the sound of Ellie’s distant cries. She is a bit disoriented as she first wakes up and realizes that she is not in her own bed, let alone her own room. It is only when she feels Killian’s arms tighten around her waist, pulling her closer to his body that the memories from the night before come rushing back to her.

Smiling, she allows herself another few seconds wrapped in his arms before extracting herself from his hold to attend to the crying baby.

Looking around the room she quickly finds and picks up Killian’s discarded shirt from the night before and puts it on, covering up her nakedness, before walking into her room. When she opens the door she sees Ellie standing up in her bed, holding onto the bars of the crib, with little tears running down her face.

Gathering the baby in her arms, Emma quickly wipes the tears away and begins to sooth the little girl.

“I’m so sorry, sweetie! Don’t cry, I’m here now, mommy’s here. Are you hungry? Let’s get you a bottle.”

Emma walks the now quieting baby into the kitchen and begins to heat up a bottle. Once it reaches the perfect temperature, Emma walks them into the living room to relax on the couch while Ellie drinks her bottle.

The room is bathed in the glow from the lights of the Christmas tree, catching Ellie’s attention as she fills her belly with her late night snack. Glancing at the clock, Emma realizes that it is actually close to six in the morning, making this the latest Ellie has slept through the night.

“Look at that, baby girl, you slept through the night!”

“A Christmas miracle! I think the little lass knew mommy and daddy were going to need the extra sleep last night.” Killian says as he walks into the living room, clad in nothing but a pair of boxer briefs slung low on his hips, showcasing his toned abdomen.

Emma feels a blush spread across her face as Killian moves to sit beside her on the couch.

As if it was a completely normal thing to do, Killian moves as close to Emma as possible, puts an arm around her waist, and pulls her into his body, all the while reaching over and placing a kiss onto her forehead.

“Good morning, love, did you sleep well?” he asks with a smirk.

Laughing softly, Emma looks up into Killian’s face. “I did. The best night’s sleep I’ve had in what seems like forever. What about you?”

“That was the best sleep of my life.” Killian winks at Emma, causing her to blush harder, before he leans down and places a soft kiss to her lips.

They stay like that for a few minutes, kissing slowly and gently.

Pulling back, Killian whispers to her, “Last night was one of the happiest nights I can ever remember having, and not just because of what happened when we got home, which was amazing, might I add. I really loved being close with you, spending time with our friends and Ellie and celebrating the holiday. It made me realize just how much you mean to me and just how much I never want to let this go.”

“Me too. I’ve been fighting how I feel about you for so long, probably since the moment I met you, and now it feels so right letting myself and my feelings flow freely. I’m just so thankful Mary Margaret finally pushed me into addressing my feelings last night or I fear we would have had to wait much longer to come together.”

Killian laughs loudly, causing Ellie to jump slightly in Emma’s arms. “Mary Margaret talked to you about us last night?”

“Yeah, why?”

“David had a little talk with me last night too and Graham chimed in.”

Mortified, Emma uses her free had to cover her face. “Oh my god, what did they say?”

Killian moves his free hand to her hair, running his fingers through the long yellow tresses before caressing his fingers across her face, paying special attention to the dip in her chin.

“They asked me what the hell I was doing staying away from you, saying that they could tell a mile away that we have feelings for each other. Graham even called me a lucky bastard for the relationship and living arrangement we already have. I sensed that he might have feelings for you, more than friendship.”

Emma snorted. “That’s water under the bridge. Years ago, not long after I moved to Storybrooke and began working at the station, Graham and I tried dating but I called it off after two dates. It just wasn’t right and he felt it, we agreed that we’re better off as friends. Then a few months later, as he was having a torrid affair with Regina Mills, he got really drunk while he was spiking a high fever, and kissed me then professed all kinds of feelings. Later, I escorted him home, after a well-deserved punch in the face, and the next morning he apologized and we’ve never spoke of it again. He also ended things with Regina for good and she has always blamed me for it...and for every other failed relationship she’s had since. But that is just one of several reasons why Regina Mills hates me.”

Emma feels the rumbles of Killian’s laughter where his body touches her. “Well, I will be forever grateful that things did not work out well with Graham but I am sorry about Regina, she has always had a bad temper and a short fuse. There is a reason why she’s been called The Evil Queen since she was young.”

Ellie, making her presence known, takes the two by surprise by interrupting their conversation with a huge burp. The two look down at the little girl, eyes wide, as laughter fills the room once again.

As Killian takes the baby into his arms for his own morning snuggle session, Emma watches them and thinks to herself about just how happy she is and how good all of this feels.

She can’t remember a time when she was this happy. Of course, her time spent with Henry was the highlight of her life but her situation with Neal always seemed to cast a dark cloud over everything. Now, with her relationship with Ellie, she feels like a mom again and it’s only been made better by her relationship with Killian. And now that they have accepted and expressed their feelings for one another, things look like they can only get better.

The two spend the next half an hour cuddling together with Ellie on the couch, watching the sun come up, before moving to the kitchen to make breakfast. They take turns cooking; Emma cooks scrambled eggs while Killian plays with Ellie at the table and then Emma plays with Ellie while Killian makes pancakes and bacon. Soon enough the table is set and the small family sits down to enjoy their first Christmas breakfast together. 

Once the food is eaten and the kitchen cleaned up, the family moves back into the living room to begin opening presents.

They settle themselves on the floor; Ellie sitting in Emma’s lap as Killian plays Santa and grabs presents from under the tree. Almost all of the presents are for Ellie, most of them from Killian and Emma but there are also some from their friends for their little girl. 

Just as they were getting ready to help Ellie open her first present, there is a knock at the door.

“Here, you take her. It’s probably David and Mary Margaret; they said something yesterday about wanting to come over this morning to watch Ellie open some of her presents before David starts his shift at the station.”

Emma lifts the baby from her lap and deposits her into Killian’s before making her way over to the door.

She opens it without looking out the peephole and is surprised to find an older, tall brunette woman standing there instead of her friends.

“Oh, hello, can I help you with something?” she asks.

“Is Killian Jones here?” 

Emma feels her eyebrows knit in confusion as she takes in the woman. There is something oddly familiar about her but she knows for a fact that she has never seen this woman before. 

“I’m sorry, who are you?”

“My name is Milah Gold.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Milah and Killian Confrontation

“I’m sorry, who are you?”

“My name is Milah Gold.”

Emma felt like she was going to be sick.

Milah.

Killian’s Milah.

Ellie’s mother.

‘No! You’re her mother! This is just the woman who gave birth to her. This is the woman who abandoned her and left her to die!’ Emma reminds herself.

“Killian!” Emma called. She can’t see clearly, anger and a little bit of fear boiling like fire inside her.

“Wait here, please.” Emma quickly steps back into the apartment, making sure to close the door and blocking any sight Milah has into the apartment, as she hears Killian approach with Ellie in his arms.

“What’s the matter, love?” he asks, running a hand down the side of her face. Any other time, she would have found comfort in his touch but at this very moment she can’t feel a thing, she feels numb.

“There is someone here, you need to talk to her.”

Emma takes Ellie from Killian and moves away from the door and sits down on the couch. Thankfully due to the location and position of the couch, Milah will not be able to see her or the baby but Emma will be able to hear everything that is being said.

Confused by the situation, Killian moves forward and opens the door.

When he does, he feels like he is being punched in the gut with a sledge hammer.

“Milah.”

Milah’s eyes light up at the sight of Killian. “Hello Killian. Miss me?” she laughs but Killian remains silent.

“No, Milah, I haven’t missed you for a single day. What in the hell are you doing here?”

Milah can feel the anger rolling off of him in waves, instantly making her feel uncomfortable. Throughout their relationship, Killian was always the levelheaded and calm one, she never once saw him as angry as she sees him now. It upset her slightly, she knows now that she has pushed him too far and it will take much more effort than originally planned to get her plan to succeed.

“I came here to talk to you, to apologize for everything.”

Killian is beyond pissed off. “Apologize for what, Milah? For leaving me in the middle of the night without any kind of reason why? For not telling me you were pregnant? For abandoning my daughter and leaving her locked in a car in the heat of summer to die a horrible and painful death? Or for showing up on Christmas morning knowing that you would not be welcome, that you would risk ruining my daughters first Christmas? Hmm? Which is it, Milah?”

“Killian calm down...”

“Calm down?! Don’t you dare tell me to calm down!” Killian was breathing heavy and could feel the blood pulsing through his veins.

Inside the apartment, Emma could hear everything and was beginning to feel increasingly worried for Killian’s emotional state. She quickly moves the other side of the living room and places Ellie in her play pen with some of her favorite toys before moving back towards the door. Before she can make her presence known, she hears Milah talking.

“I didn’t mean to put her in danger, Killian. I thought I left the doors unlocked and I knew that someone would find her quickly...”

“What the hell is wrong with you? Are you seriously trying to tell me that you had no idea what would happen when you abandoned my newborn daughter in a hot car in the summer? If you didn’t want her, why not leave her with me, why a car? Hell, you could have left her at a hospital, police station, fire hall, or even inside the fucking grocery store. At least there she would not have almost died!”

Milah remains silent as Killian looks on. Emma stands still by the door, just listening, waiting for Milah to say something.

“I made a mistake. I wasn’t thinking clearly.”

“No, you fucking weren’t. Nothing you could say could make me forgive you, ever, now just turn around and go back to wherever the hell you came from. You are not wanted or welcome here. You stay the hell away from my daughter.”

“She’s my daughter too!”

It’s at this point that Emma opens the door, just in time to see Killian move closer to the older woman.

“She is not your daughter!” he all but growls at her. “You gave up any rights as her mother the moment you walked away from that car all those months ago. She has a new mother now; one that takes care of her and treats her like the angel she is, one that loves her unconditionally, one that would lay down her life for her. You are nothing to her. You are just the woman who left her to die.”

Emma steps closer to him, placing a hand on his arm. “Killian, please, try to calm down, you’re shaking.”

Shaking himself out of the sort of trance his anger had formed, Killian takes a step back from Milah and blindly reaches out for one of Emma’s hands, linking their fingers together.

Taking a deep breath, Killian tried to calm himself, feeling a bit more centered having Emma by his side. During this time, Milah has the chance to size Emma up, to see firsthand who Killian had replaced her with.”

“Milah, you need to leave. Go home; there is nothing here for you.”

“Do you seriously think you can replace me with some random blonde-haired bimbo?”

Killian surges forward once again, coming to stand just inches from Milah.

“If I ever hear you say another negative thing about Emma again, you will regret waking up the next morning.”

“Killian, stop!” Emma grabs him by the arm, pulling him into her arms as his anger threatened to overwhelm him.

“Is everything ok here?”

The three adults turn their heads to find David and Mary Margaret coming up the stairs, matching expressions of concern marking their faces.

“This is none of your business...” Milah begins.

“No, Dave, everything here is not ok. I would like you to meet Milah Gold, I believe you have an active warrant out for her arrest for child neglect and endangerment, and let’s not forget, attempted murder.”

The hallway erupts into chaos as Milah and Killian begin screaming at one another. Their loud voices into the apartment, triggering Ellie to begin crying out of fright, causing Emma and Mary Margaret to run inside to console her.

A few minutes later, Ellie’s tears are just drying when Killian walks inside.

“What happened?” Mary Margaret asks as she runs a hand over Ellie’s back and Emma holds her close to her chest.

Killian steps further into the room until he is next to them.

“David is taking her in to be booked. She will more than likely post bail within the next few hours but David said he will petition for a restraining order that covers Ellie and myself but also Emma. She shouldn’t be bothering us again, at least not for a little while.”

Killian wraps his arm around Emma and places a kiss on her temple, sensing how uneasy she feels with the situation.

“What do you think she wants?” Emma asks.

“Ellie.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, so I know it's been waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too long since i've updated this but I've gone through a lot of changes this past year and have been too busy to write. But now I have the urge to continue with this story and try to complete it! So here is a new chapter, it's kind of on the short side, but I promise to try to work to make the next few chapters longer. And as usual, if you have any requests or recommendations for the story, send me a message and I will try my hardest to incorporate it into the story! Well, here it is, I hope the wait was worth it!

Weeks go by and things go from bad to worse.

Milah was pardoned for her crimes, something that was granted by Mayor Mills even though every law enforcement officer in the town hotly contested it. Although David was able to get the restraining order approved to protect Ellie from Milah, she still attempted to contact Killian every chance she could.

The worst part was when Milah officially petitioned the court for full custody of Ellie, and shocking everyone in the town, hired her ex-husband Mr. Gold as her attorney. Everyone who was around to see the end of their relationship was surprised by the fact that Gold hadn't seriously hurt Milah the day she walked back into town.

Killian and Emma tried to ignore the petition, convinced that Milah had no chance at custody, until they found out the judge for their case was Judge Spencer, someone who was on Regina Mill's payroll and who, much like Regina, hated Killian and Emma equally.

Yet even with all of the stress over the impending court date, Killian and Emma never let that interfere with their relationship with each other and with Ellie. They still went on dates, game nights with David and Mary Margaret, and spent their weekends in the park with Ellie.

On the Sunday afternoon before the court hearing, Killian was walking through the towns small market, gathering groceries for the week, he ran into the one person he didn't want to see; Milah.

"All alone on this beautiful Sunday?" her voice came from behind him as he was bagging some pears.

Stiffening his spine, he turned slowly to face his ex-girlfriend. "Yes, Emma is home with the baby while she naps, so I came to grab some groceries. Is there something I can help you with, Milah?"

"Why are you so cold with me, Killian? You treat me as if our past history means nothing to you. I mean, we have a child together for god's sake, why can't you have a civil conversation with me?"

Killian wanted to stay calm, he wanted to be the bigger person, but he simply couldn't put up with it anymore.

"You want to know why I am so cold towards you, Milah? You want to know why the very sight of you churns my bloody stomach? You want to know why my past feelings for you have been whipped clean?! BECAUSE YOU LEFT MY DAUGHTER TO DIE!" he screamed.

Milah's cheeks turn red, out of both anger and embarrassment.

"She's my daughter too and I didn't leave her to die."

"Are you fucking kidding me right now, Milah? You left her alone in a car in the middle of the summer when she was only weeks old. You let her bake in that car like she was a bloody potato and then used your ex-husbands money and connections and some cowardly excuse of post partum depression to buy your way out of jail. Then, months later you stroll into town and just expect me to take you back and just give you my daughter?"

"OUR daughter!"

"SHE'S NOT YOUR DAUGHER!" he yelled.

Knowing he was causing a scene, Killian lowered his voice before continuing. "She's not your daughter Milah, you may have given birth to her but you're not her mother. You gave up any claim to her the moment you left her alone, locked away in that bloody car. She's my daughter, mine and Emma's."

Milah's nostrils flared at the mention of Emma's name. "That woman is not her mother!"

"Emma is more than just her mother, she is her savior. Emma was the one that found Ellie in that car and saved her life. Emma is the one that took her into her home to keep her out of the foster system. Emma is the one who nursed her back to health and continues to love and care for her every day. Emma is the mother that Ellie deserves and what you are trying to do by taking Ellie away from her, away from us, is something I can never forgive you for. And neither will Ellie."

Milah was silent for a moment, letting Killian calm down from his rant. She took this time to move closer to him, going unnoticed by Killian who was too busy staring at his feet while trying to unclench his fists.

"You know, when I win in court tomorrow, that doesn't mean that I have to take Ellie away from you."

He was taken aback, "What are you talking about?"

Milah took another step closer to Killian and lowered her voice to a whisper, "If you want to stay in Ellie's life, there is one simple solution; come back to me Killian."

"You can't be serious? Why in the hell would I go back to you?"

"Because believe it or not Killian, I will win tomorrow, and by tomorrow night Ellie will be with me on a bus back to Boston. And if you want to have anything to do with my daughter, you're going to have to come back to Boston and be with me, all three of us together as a family. Think about it."

Milah leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to his lips before walking past him, out of the store.

Killian quickly wipes his mouth as he turns to watch her leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok guys, what do you think? Please leave me some feedback, it fuels my writing fire! :) I hope to have another chapter out soon, this one with some CapainSwan fluff in it! Until next time...


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok guys, here is another chapter! I promised some CaptainSwan fluff and you guys wanted some Emma/Ellie bonding, so I tried to give you both! I hope you like it!

Emma was lying on the couch with her back propped up by big fluffy pillows and Ellie lying on her stomach. Ellie had woken up from her nap 20 minutes prior and the two were getting some 'Mommy and Baby' time while Killian was at the market.

"Come on sweetie, you can do it, say Dada!" Emma tickled the baby's side and was granted with the sweet sound of Ellie's giggles.

Emma had been trying to get Ellie to say 'Dada' for weeks now, even though it would cost her the bet against Killian, she knew that it would mean a lot to him to hear Ellie call him 'Dada' especially after the stress of the past few weeks.

Emma shifted her feet higher on the couch allowing Ellie to rest her back on her thighs. This gives Emma the perfect opportunity to lift the baby up and blow raspberries on her belly and then cheeks, causing the baby to giggle even louder.

It was at this time that Killian came walking through the door, a frown on his face.

Emma, still smiling at the giggling baby, turned her head to greet him.

"Welcome back…what's wrong?"

Killian deposited the bags of groceries onto the kitchen counter and picked up Ava, who had been jumping at his feet the moment he walked through the door, before making his way over to the couch.

Emma sat up completely, giving Killian plenty of room to sit beside her.

"It's ok, you can tell me. What happened?" she asked.

"I ran into Milah at the market."

"Oh." It came out as a whisper. Milah was still a hard topic for the two to talk about. Emma knows in her heart that Killian is done with Milah and that, even after their short time together, he is dedicated to her, but she still can't get past the fact that Milah is Ellie's true mother.

"What did she have to say?"

Killian sighed, "Same thing she's been saying these past few weeks. That she's going to win the case tomorrow in court and that if I want anything to do with Ellie, that I will have to come back to her."

Emma sat there silently for a few minutes. She wanted to be mad; she wanted to yell and throw things and cry that none of this was any fair. But she didn't want to let that woman ruin another perfect day. That's what her day had been before a few minutes ago; perfect.

Reaching over, Emma grasped Killian's hand in hers. "She will NOT win tomorrow, we will. No judge in their right mind would give her custody over the two of us, even Spencer. She may be her biological mother but she has nothing else going for her and we do. You are her father and you have a wonderful and stable job and home life where you can provide Ellie the life she deserves. Milah has nothing like that."

"I also have you. We also have you and we are damn lucky that you came into our lives." His voice came out as a raspy whisper, thick with emotion.

Emma looked deeply into his eyes and moved in closer, drawing his lips to hers.

"Mama."

The couple pulled apart quickly and looked at their daughter, stunned.

"What did you just say, sweetie?" asked Killian.

Ellie giggled at the two before she shoved her fists in her mouth and ripped them back out again a few seconds later.

"Mama!"

The two screamed and jumped to their feet, swinging Ellie in the air in celebration, causing Ava to bark at their feet, annoyed at their lack of attention for her. Ellie, confused, shoved one of her hands back into her mouth and tucked her head under Emma's chin.

The two were laughing with tears of joy in their eyes.

"Well, it looks like we both lost, Mama. Her first word was neither Dada or Ava."

"You know what Killian, I don't even care anymore. This was better, much better!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Later that night after Ellie was sleeping soundly in her new crib, in her new room (Killian had officially moved out of the guest bedroom and Ellie finally got it all to herself), Killian and Emma lay spooned together in their bed.

"I can feel you worrying, love." He whispered in her ear.

"I'm sorry, I can't shut my brain off. I keep thinking about tomorrow. I know I sounded all sure of our chances earlier, but, I'm still really scared."

"I know, me too, but like you said, no one, not even Spencer, would give Milah custody over us."

Emma sighed and closed her eyes. "I know, I just can't get it off my mind."

Smiling, Killian moved closer to Emma, wrapping his arms fully around her and pulled her even closer to him. He whispered low in her ear, "I may have a way to get it off of your mind."

Emma moaned and arched her back, grinding her butt into his already growing hardness.

"What did you have in mind?"

He started to place small kisses down her neck, nipping her here and there while he slid his hands below the t-shirt she wore to bed to massage her breasts.

Emma quickly rolled onto her back, pulling Killian on top of her, and fused their lips together. Their clothes were quickly shed and the room was soon filled with the sounds of their gasps and moans.

When they were both sated, they lay wrapped in each others arms, Emma's head resting on Killian's chest, the rhythm of his heartbeat quickly lulling her off to sleep.

As he watched her eyes begin to drift closed, he felt a sense of bravery fill him to finally say the words he's been wanting to say since he first met her.

Taking a deep breath, he let the words out. "Emma…I love you."

Feeling like a weight has been lifted off his shoulders, Killian closes his eyes, ready for sleep. And that's when he hears it.

"I love you too, Killian"

Killan opens his eyes to see Emma drift off to sleep. A few minutes later Killian joins her in slumber, with a huge grin plastered to his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there you have it! The next chapter is the big day in court! Who will win; Emma and Killian or Milah?
> 
> You will find out soon! Also, if you are enjoying what you are reading, let me know! Until next time...


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, another new chapter for you! This chapter contains the court battle for Ellie!
> 
> I want to take this time to answer some of your questions.
> 
> Why did Milah come back now? You've covered Killian is angry last chapter, what is Emma feeling? Why would Regina grant a pardon?-- Milah's motives are going to stay a secret for now, but don't worry, I will reveal them soon. Emma is feeling a big mix of fear and anger. She is angry that Milah is back and messing with her happy life and she is fearful that Milah's return will take away everything she loves. In regards to Regina and her pardoning Milah, Regina was pressured by Gold (who's motives will also be revealed later) to pardon Milah. Gold, as usual, has dirt against Regina and used it as leverage!
> 
> Thank you again everyone for the wonderful reviews and thank you again for your questions! Also, if you are sending comments to me as a guest, remember that it may take a little longer for me to see them. I have issues with the email and have to wait for the comments to show up, which takes some time if you don't have an account.
> 
> Anyway, here it is! I hope you like it!

It was the big day and Emma and Killian were worried sick. Ellie was at home with Granny while they spent the day at the courthouse and when they got there they were surprised to see all of their friends waiting there for them as a line of support.

Mary Margaret and Ruby took turns hugging Emma while the men all gave Killian reassuring pats on the back, everyone trying to life the spirits of the two sullen parents. 

The group spoke quietly amongst themselves, no one looking towards the other side of the courtroom where Milah and Mr. Gold sit, silently. It only took a few more minutes before Judge Spencer made his way into the courtroom and everyone took his or her seats. 

“Good morning everyone, as you all know we are here today to determine custody of Elizabeth Jennifer Jones, the biological daughter of Killian Jones and Milah Gold. No one is on trial today; we are simply here to determine which household would be in the best interest of the child. Once that is determined, we will then move onto the discussion of visitation rights for the parent who does not receive custody. We also need to discuss the adoption petition that has been filed and is pending approval by one Emma Swan, who has been fostering the child since the day she was found.”

Killian reaches out blindly and grasps Emma’s hand and gives it a firm squeeze. 

“I already read through all of the information regarding this case; the police reports, adoption papers, custody papers, etc. All I want to do today is hear from each person involved; Mr. Jones, Mrs. Gold, and Miss. Swan. After hearing each persons testimony, which I want to remind everyone will be under oath, I will take them along with all of the information from the case into consideration before making my final decision. Understood?”

All parties involved agreed to Judge Spencer’s rules and settled in for the first testimony; Killian’s. 

Before they began, Judge Spencer spoke once more.

“After each testimony, opposing council may ask a total of three questions, including follow-ups, if they so choose. This is a courtesy I am granting to you, so please, do not take advantage of my kindness. Now, Mr. Jones, you may begin.”

Killian had made his way to sit on the stand and instantly made eye contact with Emma, the sight of her instantly calming his nerves. 

Taking a deep breath, he began.

“Growing up I never thought much about having kids, even when I started college and began my career in education. I spend my days surrounded by children and up until a few months ago I thought that would be enough; I was around children all day, I didn’t need that in my home life. That was until that day I found out I was a father. The moment I locked eyes on my daughter, I knew she was mine, and I knew that my life would never be the same. I instantly decided to change my life around to become the best father I can be for that little girl. I moved back to Storybrooke, where I knew my daughter would have a good life, and I made her my number one priority. Ellie has brought so much joy and love into my life and I can’t imagine spending even a day apart from her. I know I can be a good father for her, I know I can provide a good life for her, and I know that I won’t be doing it alone. Emma Swan has been there since that day she was abandoned and nearly died in a locked car. Emma saved her life and made it possible for me to know and love my daughter. Emma made it possible for me to be a father and in the process she became a wonderful mother to my daughter. Now, I’m not asking you to allow me to have custody of my daughter; I’m asking you to allow my daughter to remain in her home with both of her parents, the only parents she has ever know and has ever loved. Thank you.”

Killian would be lying if he said he wasn’t emotional during his little speech, especially when he noticed that Emma had tears flowing down her face. Looking around the room, he noticed Mary Margaret and Ruby were in a similar emotional state and even David had a hint of tears in his eyes.

Judge Spencer then turned to Mr. Gold. “Do you have any questions for Mr. Jones?

Mr. Gold stands. “Not at this time but we reserve the right to call him back later if requested.”

“Granted. Mr. Jones, you may return to your seat. Mrs. Gold, please make your way to the stand.”

Killian jumped down and returned to his seat beside Emma, not even a glance spared towards Milah. He wrapped his arm around her and placed a kiss on her forehead before moving his attention to Milah who had just taken her seat on the stand. 

Milah’s testimony was filled with half-truths and fake tears. She spoke about how she suffered from post-pardon depression and how that led to her leaving Ellie behind so she could go seek treatment in a facility in England, a facility that no one has been able to find any information about. She never mentioned the fact that she left the 3-week-old baby alone in a locked car, with the windows rolled all the way up, in the middle of the July heat. Milah continued to talk about herself and her struggles, never once talking about what she thought was best for Ellie. That is, until she brought up Emma.

“I do believe that Killian will be and has been a good father to my daughter but to honest, due to her past, I do not want Emma Swan anywhere near my daughter. I have been informed that Miss. Swan had a child herself a few years ago that died and if she couldn’t protect that child, how can she protect mine?”

Gasps filled the courtroom before the voices of Killian, his attorney, David, and Graham filled the room, angry at the mention of Emma’s lost child. It took a few minutes for everyone to calm down, Killian and Mary Margaret each sat on either side of Emma and tried to console her through her tears. Having Milah bring up Henry and blame his death on her was the equivalent to reaching into her chest and ripping out her heart. 

Judge Spencer brought the courtroom back to order and had Milah complete her statement. When it came time for questions, Killian’s attorney made sure to ask questions about Milah’s abandonment and future plans (or lack there of) for Ellie. Caught off guard about the latter questions, Milah stumbled with her answers and yet again brought the topic back to herself. Once she was done, Milah was dismissed and returned to her seat. 

Killian watched as she returned to her seat beside Mr. Gold and was disgusted to see a smirk on her face when she discovered the distraught look on Emma’s face. She knew exactly what she had done and was happy about the response she got.

‘What in the hell did I ever see in this woman? How could I have ever loved someone so hateful?’ he thought to himself.

Judge Spencer broke his thoughts as he directed his gaze towards Emma. “Miss. Swan, you’re up.”

Killian turned to Emma, “You don’t have to do this now, love.” 

“He’s right, Emma. We can ask for a postponement.” Mary Margaret said, rubbing her hands up and down Emma’s arms.

“No. I have to do this, now. For Ellie.” It came out as a whisper as Emma stood and then made her way to the stand. 

Emma sat in the seat silent for what felt like forever. She didn’t look at anyone, not even Killian; she just stared down at her hands.

“I didn’t have parents growing up. I was found on the side of the road when I was just a few hours old, tossed away like a piece of trash. I grew up in the foster system, living in the worst kind of situations until I ran away at 16 years old. I got myself in trouble here and there but when I discovered I was pregnant when I was 18 years old, I knew I needed to change who I was. I became the person I am now, someone I am proud to be, someone I wanted my son to be proud of. Unfortunately, I lost my child due to the negligence of his father, when he was just a little boy and that is something that I will never forgive him and myself for. I should have been there for my child, just like Mrs. Gold should have been there for hers.”

Emma finally looked up and stared right at Milah, letting her know how much distain she has for her before she shifted her gaze over to Killian. Making eye contact with Killian instantly sent a wave of comfort through Emma’s body and she continued her testimony. 

“The day that I found Ellie and rescued her from the hot car changed my life forever. It gave me another chance at motherhood and it brought a wonderful man into my life that I love with all my heart. Ellie has become the center of my life from the moment I pulled her out of that hot car and these past few weeks have been some of the hardest weeks I have ever had to endure. Just the thought of losing her, my sweet Ellie, breaks my heart and leaves me hopeless. I can’t imagine my life without that little girl; I can’t imagine waking up in the morning and not seeing her beautiful face or listening to the sweet little sounds she makes. I can’t imagine not being there with her and for her as she grows up. I love that little girl as if she is my own and I know that I can be and have been a good mother to her. Please, I beg you, don’t take her away from me.”

Emma had tried her hardest to keep herself together but her emotions were still raw at the mention of Henry, and she broke down in tears on the stand. 

Judge Spencer made the decision to disallow any questions for Emma, since she is not a biological parent of the child but simply apply for adoption. Mr. Gold and Milah put up a fight but Judge Spencer held his ground and dismissed Emma from the stand. 

Emma returned to her seat and was instantly drawn into Killian’s arms. He whispered words of love into her ear and kissed her on the forehead. 

The room remained still for a few minutes while Judge Spencer read over his notes.

Throwing down his pen, Judge Spencer addressed the room. 

“I can sit here and pretend that the decision in front of me is a hard one but most of you can sense that that is a big fat lie. The facts in this case are simple; we have a woman who gave birth to a child that she didn’t care enough about to fill out a birth certificate. She denied the father of said child a chance to be involved with the pregnancy and birth and instead chose to leave the child behind while she left to go to England; let’s not forgot that her actions nearly killed the child. I don’t know what kind of game you’re trying to play here but count me out. I’m granting full custody of Elizabeth Jennifer Jones to Killian Jones and I am dissolving any and all of Milah Gold’s parental rights. You do not deserve that child, Mrs. Gold, and furthermore, I believe your presence in her life will bring more harm than good. Any visitation And one final thing, I am also granting Emma Swan’s petition for adoption. Elizabeth Jones is now a lucky baby girl with two parents who have proven their love and devotion for her. That is all.”

The courtroom erupted in cheers; Killian and Emma were instantly wrapped in the arms of their friends before moving to each other. Both were stunned yet completely grateful for the turn of events.

Mr. Gold and Milah, both angered beyond belief, rush over to Judge Spencer. “What in the hell, Spencer? We had a deal!” screamed Milah.

Spencer just looked at the two with a grin on his face. “Do you really forget how much hell you two put me and my family through in the past? Do you really think money would make me forget, you think money would make me help you? No, this was better than money, seeing the looks on your faces.” 

Spencer began to walk away from them when Mr. Gold grabbed his arms. 

“No one breaks a deal with me, dearie. No one.”

Spencer pulls his arms back. “I just did.” 

And he walked out of the room leaving a pissed of Milah and Mr. Gold behind him.

Killian and Emma and their friends didn’t wait around long. While Gold and Milah spoke with Spencer, they group of friends left the courthouse and began the walk back to the apartment; back to Ellie.

Back inside the courtroom, Gold turned to Milah. 

“This isn’t over.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Ending (sorta) for Killian and Emma but not to fear, like Gold said, this isn't over! Until next time...


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I'm baaaaaaack! I have a whole new part of this story that I'm really excited to dive into!
> 
> I can't promise how ofter I will post but I'm hoping to give you guys a new chapter every few days or at least once a week!
> 
> So, I hope you really like this! Enjoy!

After the court granted custody to Killian and Emma, things went back to normal in Storybrooke. Milah left town the day after the ruling, without a word to anyone, and Mr. Gold returned to his proper profession at his pawnshop. 

Weeks and then months go by and suddenly it’s springtime and the entire town is covered with flowers as the weather starts to warm in preparation for the summer heat that will be coming in just a couple of months. 

Emma and Killian’s relationship has only strengthened since the hearing and Ellie was growing like a weed; running around the house with Ava, keeping her parents on their toes at all times.

Killian and Emma still had their date nights where they were able to spend time alone, giving Ellie some quality time with her godparents David and Mary Margaret Nolan, much to everyone’s delight. Killian and Emma also made it a point to have days dedicated to playing and simply being with Ellie; taking her to the park, the Storybrooke petting zoo, and even some of the more child-geared museums a few towns over.

After the court hearing, Emma decided to cut back her hours at the police station, giving her more time to spend with Ellie until summer vacation hit and Killian could spend time home with Ellie while Emma went back to work full time. 

On this day the sun was shining brightly in a cloudless sky, waking Emma and Killian from their sleep. Unwilling to remove themselves from their comfortable bed and the sweet sounds of Ellie’s soft snoring coming through the baby monitor, Emma and Killian decide to give themselves some extra time to relax and enjoy their time together before the day would need to start. 

“Good morning, beautiful.” Killian whispers in her ear, using his arms that are wrapped around her waist to give her a little squeeze, pulling her back flush against his front. 

“Good Morning, handsome. What’s on your schedule for today?”

Emma rolls onto her back so that she can pull Killian closer and look into his face. Every morning when she wakes up with such a feeling of blessed happiness; she can’t believe that she is lucky enough to be living the life she is living. 

Killian begins to pepper small kisses down her neck to her collarbone. “I am meeting David at noon to help him go through his and Mary Margaret’s attic. It should only take a few hours; I will be home in plenty of time to have dinner with my two favorite girls. What about you, are you still taking Ellie to the Mommy and Me class over at Granny’s Inn?”

Humming, Emma nods her head. Speech was difficult for her to form, especially considering the fact that Killian’s kisses keep going further and further south on her body.

“Oh God.” She hisses, as he takes a little nip at her inner thigh.

“The name’s Killian, but if you want to call me a god, who I am to stop you.” 

Emma can’t help but laugh and pulls Killian up to kiss her on the lips.

Their arms roam each other’s bodies and what little clothing they are wearing is quickly discarded onto the floor. 

Killian sits with his back against the headboard while Emma climbs into his lap, joining their bodies together. 

They move together slowly, allowing themselves to enjoy the feel of their bodies coming together. They keep a slow pace; kissing and keeping each other close as their bodies climb towards release.

When it finally happens, they come together, clinging to one another before collapsing onto the bed, holding each other close and coming down from their high.

They talk more about their plans for the day while their breathing and heart rates return to normal.

Emma talks of her excitement about the Mommy and Me class she is set to take Ellie to later that day, really looking forward to spending some quality time with Ellie and to continue to form stronger bonds with the almost one year old. 

Soon enough Ellie’s cries get the two lovers out of bed and into their morning routine. 

Emma jumps into the shower while Killian gets Ellie from her crib, changing her diaper and getting her into fresh clothes for the day. Then, as soon as Emma is out of the shower, they switch places. Emma takes Ellie and places her in her playpen while she gets ready for the day while Killian jumps into the shower.

Once they are dressed and ready for the day, they part ways with a kiss; one between Killian and Emma and another kiss from Killian to Ellie.

Killian makes his way to school, picking up Mary Margaret on the way. Not long after Killian moved back to Storybrooke and moved in with Emma, the two began a morning routine of their own; Mary Margaret would walk from her loft to Granny’s and pick up coffee and bagels for the two before heading to the local library to catch up with Belle, the town librarian, and wait to be picked up by Killian. Once they arrive at school, the two would work together to monitor the halls as kids arrived for the day.

As Killian makes his way to the library, Emma packs Ellie into her yellow bug to make her own trip to Granny’s for some pre-Mommy and Me pancakes.

As the mother and daughter duo walk through the door of the small restaurant, the bell alerts the owner of their arrival.

“Good morning, Emma! Oh my goodness, Ellie is getting so big!” Granny exclaims as she moves behind the counter to greet them.

“I know, she will be hitting her one year mark pretty soon! I can’t believe how fast time has gone by!”

“I know, next thing you know she’s going to be in high school, chasing after all of the wrong boys.”

Granny laughs as Emma’s face fell. “That is not even funny, Granny.”

Granny laughs again. “Don’t worry dear, you have a long time to prepare for when that happens. Now, go ahead, find a seat. Do you want your breakfast usual?”

Emma nods as she makes her way to her favorite booth, sitting Ellie beside her, closest to the window, blocking any kind of exit the now incredibly mobile child might try to take. 

Emma pulls out some small toys to distract Ellie while they wait on their food. 

Soon enough, a pile of pancakes and a small bowl of oatmeal appear on the table in front of them by none other than Ruby, one of Emma’s close friends. 

“Don’t you ever get tired of pancakes?” 

Emma laughs as her cheeks go pink, avoiding Ruby’s eyes. “Never.” 

Ruby laughs and walks back to the counter to grab another set of plates for another table.

What Ruby doesn’t know was that pancakes hold an entirely different significance for Emma than for most people. For Emma, pancakes always remind her of a particular morning a few months back where she was making pancakes for her family while they slept but was pleasantly surprised by her very awake boyfriend who decided to show his appreciation of the meal in a very pleasurable way, right there in the kitchen, on the table…and on the counter…and on the floor. 

Needless to say, Emma and Killian were both very glad that Ellie chose that morning to sleep in.

Emma focuses on the task at hand, eating her pancakes and feeding Ellie her oatmeal. Ellie, who usually loves Granny’s oatmeal, is not feeling it this morning and whines until Emma decides to feed her very small pieces of her pancakes. 

Once the pancakes were gone, Ruby swings by to pick up the plates.

“Want anything else before you go?”

“I think I have enough time to squeeze in a cup of hot cocoa with cinnamon before Mommy and Me class.”

“Mommy and Me class? God, can the two of you stop being so cute? You’re so adorable together, it’s making me want to have a little rugrat of my own!”

Emma laughs. “Well I don’t know about that but I do know that this little rugrat need a diaper change. I’ll be right back.”

Emma grabs Ellie and her diaper bag and makes her way to the ladies room while Ruby grabs her hot cocoa with cinnamon. 

Not a minute after the hot drink is placed on the table, a plate breaks towards the front door and Ruby and Granny both run to attend to the cleanup. 

No one notices the hooded figure walk by the vacant table, and no one sees them stop and pull something out of their pocket.

No one sees them slip an unknown liquid into the hot cocoa.

And no one sees the hooded figure run out the back door, disappearing from sight.

A few moments later, Emma emerges from the restroom, chasing after Ellie who had demanded to be put down on her own feet after her diaper had been changed.

Ellie toddles her way over to Granny and wraps her short chubby arms around one of her legs.

Granny looks down to see the not-yet one-year old holding onto her and bouncing on her feet.

Reaching down, Granny pulls the little girl into her arms and turns to her mother.

“Holy cow, not even a year old yet and basically running? You and Killian must have your hands full!”

“You have no idea! We were so impressed when she started crawling so early, we knew she would start walking early too. What we weren’t expecting is that she would skip walking all together and go from crawling right to running. She definitely keeps us on our toes.”

Emma takes Ellie back into her arms and returns to their table where she quickly drinks her hot cocoa.

After packing up her and Ellie’s things, they make their way to the counter to pay the bill.

“We’ll see you later, Ruby. We might stop in later and grab some lunch to surprise the boys at the station; it’s been a while since I’ve brought Ellie around and I think she misses her uncles.”

“Ok, send me a text if you do decide to head over, I will put their usual orders in for you, that way you won’t have to wait forever for them to be done.”

Emma nods and says her goodbyes to Granny and makes her way out to her car, which she had parked behind the diner, due to lack of parking on the street.

It wasn’t until she was strapping Ellie into her car seat that she began to feel dizzy. 

Closing her eyes, Emma braces herself against the car seat.

Waiting for the feeling to pass, Emma remains in her position, listening to Ellie’s baby babble.

When the feeling didn’t pass, Emma pulls herself out of the car and back into a standing position, which only makes her feel worse, causing her to fall to the ground, hitting her head hard against the car door, leaving a deep gash in her forehead that began to bleed heavily.

Ellie, startles by the loud sound and begins to cry and call out for Emma.

“Mama!” 

Her cries went unnoticed in the empty parking lot. 

A moment later a van pulls into the lot, pulling up beside the yellow bug.

The side door to the van opened and the same hooded figure from the diner emerges and grabs Emma, putting her into the van.

A moment later, the hooded figure returns once more and reaches into the bug and removes the car seat, putting the crying child into the van along side her unconscious mother.

The van pulls out of the parking lot a moment later, leaving the empty yellow bug with its door open and a small pool of blood on the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you say Drama? So, as usual, I am completely open to suggestions and comments! I really appreciate all of my readers, especially those who've been following this story for a while!
> 
> Thanks again everyone! Until next time!


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